For Want of a Card
by Boot13
Summary: How 12-year-old Rebecca became American Champion. In the homeland of Duel Monsters, fixed matches are the norm while cheaters and traitors fight for themselves over stakes of pride, money, and lives. Your next duel in the USA could be your last! A dueling fic!
1. Rare Hunters' Raid

I'm sure you realized before even clicking here, that these duels, based on the time of canon, have to be the "2000ver", full of fluctuating rules and anything goes. The lack of consistency was annoying, so **I created a standardized list of rules** that kept the wild flavor, but none of the bitter aftertaste.

I'm also anticipating you skimming the duel sections because you don't get a bunch of pretty pictures, making it harder to keep everything in your head. Therefore, I set up a large **supplementary document** offsite detailing the play-by-play for each duel for your convenience (and a couple other things), but FFnet doesn't allow outgoing links. I'll respect that wish; instead, you can find a link to the document at DeviantArt under the name "boot13ffnet".

HOW TO PLAY 2000ver (deviations from the norm of what the reader would be used to seeing)

1. Additional victory condition: if at the start of your opponent's turn, he/she has no monster on the field and fails to attempt playing any cards that results in a Summon or gaining control of a monster by the end of his/her turn, you win (based on Pegasus vs. Kaiba, but is also necessary to prevent strategies dependent on waiting from becoming overpowered).

2. Summoning and Setting monsters

2a. Players cannot Set their Monsters in the Monster Card Zone (in accordance with the manga). Therefore, Flip Summons changed into a mechanic unique to this story.

2b. Monsters with "FLIP:" abilities can only activate their effects when Flip Summoned or Normal Summoned. These effects are treated as Spell Speed 1 when Normal Summoned (basically, substitute "FLIP:" with "When this card is Normal Summoned, you may…" and Spell Speed 2 when Flip Summoned.

2c. In preparation to Flip Summon, the monster must be Set face-down in the Magic/Trap Zone (the act of Setting does not count as a Summon). Monsters lacking "FLIP:" cannot be Set.

2d. While set, the card is treated as a monster, but is not a valid target for attacks, effects, magic, and traps (but can still be destroyed by non-targeting effects such as Raigeki) unless otherwise stated.

2e. The actual Flip Summon is treated as a Summon but the monster does not enter the Monster Card Zone. After the monster's effect is resolved, the monster is sent to the Graveyard.

2f. You may Flip Summon any time after the End Phase that Monster was set.

*Ex.1: Bakura chooses to Normal Summon Man-Eater Bug. At that moment, Bakura can destroy a monster or pass on the effect.

*Ex.2: Bakura chooses to Set Man-Eater Bug and passes. Yugi draws and activates Raigeki, which will destroy all of Bakura's monsters. Not wanting the Bug to go to waste, Bakura can Flip Summon his Bug to destroy one of Yugi's monsters.

3. Equip cards also have some modifications

3a. You may only introduce one Equip card per turn from the set position or your hand to the field face-up; you cannot introduce another Equip card again until the next Standby Phase.

3b. Equip cards may be set on your turn and can be activated any time after the End Phase that the Equip card was set. Equip cards activated after being Set become Spell Speed 2 at the time of their introduction.

*Ex: Keith has two 7 Completed set at the start of his turn. If he activates one during his turn, the soonest he can activate the next one is at the start of the opponent's Standby Phase.

4. Type matchups

4a. Instead of showing a crazy Pokemon chart, combinations will be given as necessary.

4b. You may want to note the magic square: Dark trumps Light trumps Demon trumps Illusion trumps Dark.

4c. In a battle between advantageous and disadvantageous matchups, the turn player's monster receives the x1.5 or x0.5 multiplier based on the match-up. In the event the turn player ends up attacking his own monster, both monsters receive their multipliers.

4d. Certain matchups have specific effects, noted when necessary (such as magic vs. machine).

4e. Even magic and trap cards may have a type! Why should a Trap Hole kill a Harpie Lady?

4f. Monsters may have multiple attacking capabilities, which can affect the matchups.

5. Certain "powerful" trap cards force the user to declare that he/she cannot attack for that turn. A trap card not on the "powerful" list cannot be declared. In general, "powerful" trap cards like to deal direct damage (like Just Desserts) or have an overpowering effect (like Defense Paralysis). A trap card that tends to trigger in response to an attack or has a cost to use generally does not qualify as "powerful".

6. Rituals now require that the monsters to be sacrificed are on the field…but they're deadlier!

HOW TO PLAY 4000ver (for the extra chapters)

*Summoning rules still apply!

*Equip card rules still apply!

*Type matchup rules still apply!

*The added victory condition of 2000ver is ignored!

*"Powerful Trap" rule is ignored!

*Ritual rule is ignored!

PS: Cards will also be following their manga counterparts. For example, Monster Reborn is a Quick-Play Magic that can summon a monster to intercept an attack. Other cards may be modified a little to make them useful or interesting. When in doubt, just roll with it. ANs and notes about certain cards will appear in the supplementary document mentioned earlier.

* * *

**CHAPTER 1**

A figure in a black cloak walked towards as Rebecca approached the convenience store this cold January morning. She could not quite make him out, but the cloak had a loose gold chain below the face and an eye on the hood, giving her the impression of a cultist.

The figure paused.

Unsure, and feeling cautious, Rebecca forced a smile and waved. The figure did nothing.

An identical figure stepped out of the store. Was he his friend?

Rebecca made no movements.

A dozen more stepped out of the store, and turned to face her. Certainly not a scene that anyone could interpret as menacing. Please?

Her heart beat faster.

"We found a target," said one of the figures. He pointed at Rebecca. "Seize her!"

She turned around and fled. Her pink jacket, red skirt, and hay-colored winged hair fluttered, her brown boots striking the ground.

As Rebecca ran, she heard, "If the girl doesn't surrender, then shoot her down!"

Her first thought was to run home. But was that a good idea? What if the rest of her family was a target? Then running home would make things worse! But maybe they already knew? A worse idea occurred to her: what if they already there?

For a moment, her detective father flashed in her mind. He wasn't the overbearing "I told you so" kind of person like her mother, but Rebecca could picture him shaking his head and sighing as if the rest of his family were morons for ignoring his warnings.

"Help!" shouted Rebecca. Nothing and nobody were there to help, perhaps because the time was seven in the morning and the sun was just rising.

Where should she go? Without thinking, she picked a yard that had the neighborhood's bark-happy pit bull. He was currently sleeping in a dog house, unkempt like the rest of the yard, behind the chain-link fence. On the fence was a sign warning guests with the words "Beware of Dog". Rebecca ran and jumped, pushing on the top of the fence and sliding her legs over it in one swift motion, being careful not to let the fence catch her skirt or jacket. The shouting from the figures woke the dog, and Rebecca started running towards the other end of the yard.

The pit bull started barking and chased after her¸ but Rebecca had a decent start. Never looking back, she reached the other side and fumbled with the latch. But she succeeded, and escaped the yard, hoping the pit bull would be satisfied with her leave. He was…or rather, he turned its attention to the figures hopping the fence. Not wanting to see the potential carnage, her eyes darted around the surroundings.

Rebecca tried to figure out where to go next. There was a police car next to one of the houses, so that would be a good start.

She heard a gunshot behind her and the cessation of barking, and then another gunshot.

Sprinting towards the house, she and started pounding on the door. Looking behind her, the figures were crossing the yard when she heard the door open. Turning around, Rebecca found an old lady in a white dress shirt and a long, pink tight skirt.

Rebecca barged into her and onto the floor, but giving those villains a chance to pursue was worse. She slammed the door shut and locked it when a police officer appeared at the end of the hallway, gun drawn. Relieved and panting, Rebecca sank to the floor and put her hands in the air before the officer said anything, able to pant now that the worst was over.

"Stay where you are, trespasser!" he shouted. The officer was a lean, blue-uniformed dark-skinned officer. He ran over, gun still pointing. After glancing at the old lady, now starting to sit up, he returned his attention to Rebecca. "What the heck do you think you're doing?"

He studied Rebecca, and she wondered for a moment how threatening little twelve-year old girls appeared.

Rebecca then spoke, "Armed cultists chased me. I swear I'm not lying."

"Hmph." The officer strode to a window. He scanned the front yard for a few moments before turning back to Rebecca. "I don't see anyone."

"Good. I hope that means they left." She let her arms fall and leaned back against the door. "Didn't you just hear a couple gunshots?"

The officer mulled over what to do for a few moments before turning to the old lady.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, just a little shaken," she said. The old lady tried to stand up, but her face registered surprise when she started to fall. The officer caught her in the next instant, and sat her down in a nearby couch before turning to Rebecca. "But I guess I've seen younger days."

"You're worse than the vandals, miss, you know that?" He pointed to the couch. "Sit there while I sort this mess out."

Rebecca obliged, and the officer stood near the window as he walked to the phone. Hot from all the running, she took off her jacket, her green turtle undershirt now prominent.

"I'm sorry, ma'am," said Rebecca. "I wasn't thinking straight."

"Don't worry about it," she laughed. "It'll take more than that to finish me off. By the way, aren't you Rebecca? Casey and Mary's daughter, the Hawkins family?"

"Um, I am."

"Hmm…you wouldn't happen to be related to Arthur Hawkins, the guy who runs a research institute in Death Valley?"

"That's right, I'm his granddaughter. How do you know about us?"

"He was a schoolmate of mine; we were even in the same class. Ha, I remember when he started running around with his girlfriend. You'll have to ask him about that."

What a strange thought for Rebecca. Not sure how to respond, she turned her attention to a messy pile of Duel Monsters cards besides the couch.

The old lady said, "Do you play? My children got into it thanks to my niece."

"I played once or twice. But I know that there are people who take the game seriously, like that arrogant Bandit Keith who just challenged Pegasus. I think it's for a million dollars."

"Actually, my niece is a professional Duel Monsters player too."

"Oh!"

Before the old lady could speak, the officer returned and asked for the old lady's name.

"Maico Kuto."

"I should've asked this first, but are you hurt or feel like you require medical attention?"

"I'll be fine, I get the feeling any problem I might have can wait. You may want to assist Rebecca here, though," said Ms. Kuto.

The officer nodded, but seeing the old lady struggle to get up, offered assistance.

Once he held her steady, the officer turned to Rebecca. "I didn't catch your name."

"Rebecca Hawkins."

"Rebecca, I'm Officer Eric Garcia. Do you need any immediate assistance?"

"No, I'm fine."

He turned to Ms. Kuto again. "Would you mind if Rebecca and I wait here? HQ is backing up Rebecca's story; a group of suspicious robed men are running around. We'll be safer if we stay in here and wait for someone to verify our safety.

Rebecca drifted between nervousness and tiredness for a while, but talking with Ms. Kuto alleviated tension. Then the Officer pulled up a chair, and her tension returned.

"We're clear." He looked at Ms. Kuto. "Guess you two might as well listen. The attack today was orchestrated by an organization called the Rare Hunters. Have you heard about them?"

Ms. Kuto glanced at her cards. "Aren't they terrorists after rare Duel Monsters cards?"

"Yes."

"What do I have to do with them?" asked Rebecca.

"They..." he paused for a moment, leaving Rebecca feeling queasy. "They are responsible for the death of your parents in what we think were armed robberies."

That gave Rebecca the worst empty feeling in her life.

"Geez, I don't know how to put it nicely…" Officer Garcia uttered a sigh. "Your father was killed in a shootout at his office. And your mother was found dead in your home. Both your home and his office were ransacked."

"But my family doesn't even play the game! Why would I have rare cards?"

"I don't have any other ideas as to why Rare Hunters would attack."

Dizzy, Rebecca slumped in her seat, hoping whoever did this died.

* * *

"Why!?" This small van was worse than a jail cell. Sitting on the floor and tied up, the old man had the privilege of watching armed robbers kill his son and daughter-in-law.

"Shut up, geezer," said the Rare Hunter. He spoke into a comm. link. "Report!"

"We killed two of them, they went down fighting. But their daughter escaped. She's been taken to their HQ. Turned out there was a police car at the home she escaped into, so I made the call to drop pursuit. The girl isn't worth a shoot-out."

The Rare Hunter turned in his seat to glare at the elderly man. The gramps was in an unassuming tan suit, white undershirt and white bowtie; his hairline receded for a high forehead. The Rare Hunter turned back to his monitors as the old man bowed his head. "Forget the family. What about the card? Did you find it?"

"No. We've checked every possible hiding place we could think of. Nothing."

"I guess Master Marik won't be pleased, but there's nothing we can do. You guys just clean up and get out; we're done today."

"Roger."

The Rare Hunter turned off the comm. link and turned to the old man.

"I hope you're happy," said the Rare Hunter.

The old man looked up.

"Your relatives didn't have to die like that. All you had to do was just tell us where the damn card was or its current owner. But now, the blood of your family is on your hands."

"I'm not the one with a gun."

"Well, whatever. If the deaths of your family won't coax a word out of you, and an exhaustive search has turned out nothing, then I have nothing more to do with you."

He took out a gun and aimed at the old man's forehead, but then lowered it and spoke, "You know what? I think it'll be better to let you stew in this misery. Why should I be the only one frustrated about things not going my way today? I'll let you go and pick up your granddaughter; you can both bond together crying over your stupid relatives."

The Rare Hunter stomped over to the back doors and shoved them open, revealing a dark sky and a rising sun as cool air blew in.

"What the heck convinced you to build your Institute next to Death Valley?" He chuckled and grabbed the old man by the collar. Before throwing him out of the van, he spoke, "I'd tell you to go to Hell, but if you work here, this place is close enough."

Rebecca and her grandfather arrived at his home and Institute by sunset later that day. Rocky cliffs and sparse vegetation were the "oasis" on the eyes in an otherwise parched surrounding. The building itself was red-roofed with blue tinted windows. An opaque dome paneled with hexagons was on top the roof surrounded by several antennas.

With the help of her grandfather, she took a couple suitcases which had her clothes, and a teddy bear, the last connection with her parents. They had shared a silent drive getting here, neither able to talk about the morning.

Inside the home was not a normal home, but something that looked like the workshop of a museum. She found a dark, cluttered unoccupied office room downstairs on the basement floor. Lonely: the room matched her heart. Turning on the lights, she stepped aside as her grandfather walked in and dropped off her other suitcases, and then sighed.

"Rebecca," said her grandfather, "let's go to my office."

She nodded, and none of them spoke a word as they walked into a more organized office room. They sat on opposite sides of a desk. Once seated, he shook and bowed his head before taking a deep breath.

"I'm sorry, Rebecca," he said. "Your parents, I…wish this didn't happen to them."

"Why?" she asked. Her grandfather opened his mouth to say something, but closed it as his hands made a steeple. "Why did they target our family?"

There was a blank look on his face. "I don't know."

"Aren't you useless!" she shouted. Surprise flashed through her grandfather's face, but Rebecca made no comment. Instead, she looked at the floor and her voice weakened. "Mom and dad were arguing about them last night."

He leaned over and laid a hand on her shoulder. "I assure you that I had nothing to do with those villains. They must've attacked on misinformation."

"That's it?" It was a question repeated for a less soul-crushing answer.

Her grandfather stood up, then walked over and knelt before hugging Rebecca.

She burst into tears.


	2. Kids

**CHAPTER 2**

"Watch where you're going!" shouted Rebecca.

"Like I care?" said the boy who collided into Rebecca.

Tan-skinned, he had brown hair, bangs, sharp eyes, a yellow shirt, and jeans. If her grandfather had not been talking with a colleague in nearby store while showing her around this little town close by their home, Rebecca would have started an argument. Was everyone here a jerk? She clenched her fist, envisioning the satisfaction of punching him. A couple other boys about the same age ran as them ran up from behind him.

"Evan! Evan!" Evan turned around. "Looks like Angela wanted to challenge you again!"

"Again?" Evan laughed and threw back his hair. "I don't get why all these losers think they can beat me. I'm the brother of the greatest Duel Monsters player in town!"

Rebecca's ears perked.

"Well, if she wants to fight me again, tell her I'm raising the stakes. No more of this booster pack business; I'm taking her deck if I win this time. I want to shut her up."

One of the other boys grinned and slapped Evan's shoulder. "That's right. You deserve to fight people better than those lame wannabes."

"Then who'll be left to make you look good?" Rebecca folded his arms as they turned to face her. "Being the best card player in the middle of nowhere it's like claiming to be the best swimmer in the desert."

Evan's eyes narrowed as the other boys took a couple steps back. "What do you know?"

She copied his gesture. "Enough to beat you at that game you're so proud of." Knowing the rules and playing a couple games with someone else's deck counts, right?

He took a step forward, but one of the boys laid a hand on his shoulder. "She's just another wannabe, she just doesn't know what she's stepping in." Evan swatted him away while continuing to stare at Rebecca.

"That's right; I haven't seen you around here before, blonde. Who are you?"

"Rebecca Hawkins." Surprise crossed the boys' faces, and for a moment Rebecca wondered if they knew her from somewhere.

They then broke into laughter.

"Hawkins? Seriously? Don't tell me you're related to that dumb loon prattling about how Egypt and Duel Monsters go together!" said Evan.

Hawkins stomped the ground and shouted, "My grandpa is NOT a dumb loon! Don't even think about insulting my family!"

One of the boys regained just enough composure to speak into Evan's ear. "Do you think she's worthy of challenging you if she's related to him?"

"Yeah," he said, "after an encounter like this, there's no way she's getting out of this easy. I'll take care of Angela again, and then make an example of this newbie."

Evan then turned to Rebecca. "You're an arrogant girl who's in over her head. We'll hold a Duel Monsters game tomorrow, when you've had time to go grab your deck."

"I don't have a deck."

"Huh?"

"In fact, I was thinking of just borrowing Angela's deck and dueling in her place."

"Lunacy DOES run in your family. If you sit down and draw her crap cards, I won't let you complain and ask to use another deck."

"I won't need to. They're probably better than anything you or your 'hotshot brother' could possibly build."

Evan scraped the concrete with his shoe and grinned. "I won't let you take that back. But you wanting to use Angela's deck is a good idea, really; I'll take Angela's deck once you lose, and she'll hate you forever. And then I'll think of more ways to humiliate you."

"What are you talking about?"

"After talking to me like that, you need to learn some manners. So let's make a little wager. If I win, you have to do whatever I say for the rest of today. Maybe I'll shave your hair."

"Then if I win, I'll make YOU do whatever I say for the rest of today. Maybe I'll shave off your mouth."

"Deal." Evan turned to his friends. "Hear that? While I duel, I want you guys to come up with stuff for my slave to do."

"How about cleaning my dog's poop?" asked one boy. The other boy looked as if he received divine revelation.

"Why not make her eat it?"

Evan laughed, and Rebecca started to feel sick in her stomach before scolding herself for her short temper. What kind of genius volunteers herself for a one-sided high-stakes fight?

Rebecca changed her expression to the most belligerent face she could muster. "Thanks for the ideas. I'd like to listen to your list when I win."

"Then let's not delay, shall we?" said Evan. Rebecca nodded.

She and the two other boys followed him into the game store. Inside, there were a couple rows of shelves and carousel stands peddling everything from board games to role-playing handbooks. Commotion echoed inside the store, which grew louder as they approached the back of the store. At the back, the room was divided into two groups of people, about twenty in total, playing Duel Monsters and the miniature RPG, Monster World on multiple tables. Rebecca noticed a small girl playing Duel Monsters, who hung her head at the sight of Evan.

She must be Angela.

"Hey. HEY!" Evan shouted. The room quieted down and turned their attention on him as Evan stepped aside and pointed at Rebecca. "The new girl in town, Rebecca, has the confidence to challenge me to a game of freaking Duel Monsters."

The room erupted into whispers as he continued.

"That dumb kid is so confident that she's going to challenge me using the deck of the weakest player in town." Even raised Angela's arm as the latter looked away

The sight saddened Rebecca to see the posturing of someone lost in despair.

"And to spice things up, Rebecca and I agreed to a little wager: the winner has to do whatever the loser says for the rest of the day. And when I win, whether she accepts humiliation or cowers in a corner, you'll be able to see what a loser she truly is. Look forward to it."

The Duel Monsters players started murmuring and shook their heads as the Monster World players returned to their games.

"You're…Rebecca?" asked Angela. "Will you be alright?"

Rebecca smirked. "Just sit back and watch."

Angela smiled, and handed Rebecca a deck as the latter pulled up a seat.

"Uh, yeah, about that?" Rebecca turned to see a brown-haired young man, perhaps in his early twenties. He wore a red sleeveless shirt underneath a blue casual vest and dark brown pants with belts strapping everywhere. With a laid-back look on his face, he climbed onto the table and then sat pretzel-style as a few others gathered. "I'll vouch that Evan's words aren't for show. He's beaten the snot out of all us many times over. Kid's an unstoppable force."

"You better believe it," said Evan. "The Low brothers lose to nobody."

"The Low brothers lose to me," replied Rebecca. "Let's go, I can't wait to shut you up."

"Then I'll serve as witness for this match," said the spectator. He shook hands with Rebecca. "Name's Braiden. Nice to meet you,"

"The same."

Braiden nodded before turning to Evan. "You ready, hotshot?"

Evan nodded and pointed to Rebecca. "I could say the same to her."

**DUEL 1** vs. Evan

"Little Missy over there can go first," said Evan. "Let her figure out a decent move."

"Thanks, loser," muttered Rebecca. Both drew five cards, and Rebecca drew an extra card to start her turn.

Her hand was scarier than a horror movie.

"Yeah," said Evan. "You're in for a world of pain."

"Shut up!" Rebecca took the Petit Dragon from her hand and placed it on the table face-up, horizontal. "Petit Dragon, defense mode. I pass."

Evan gasped as if something cheesy leaped out of the shadows. "Oh no, what will I ever do? Pfft, defense mode."

"What's defense mode?" asked Angela. "Why's that card sideways?"

"You don't know?" said Rebecca.

Angela shrugged.

"Well…defense mode is-"

"Something she'll be doing for a while with that crap deck," said Evan.

"Goddammit," said Rebecca, "Shut up!"

Evan shrugged as Rebecca turned to Angela and smiled.

"Defense mode means the monster gives up its right to attack, but if it's overpowered by something stronger and dies, you don't lose life points."

"So that's what the DEF number is?"

"That's right; Petit Dragon has only has 600ATK. But if I play it in defense mode, he'll need to play a monster that can overcome its 700DEF."

"And, wouldn't you know it, I have just the card!" he said. Rebecca turned to see Evan's confident grin. He had already drawn his card and placed it vertical on the table: Flame Cerberus, a powerful monster! If her own pride was not on the line, she wanted nothing more than to slump back in her chair.

There was nothing in her hand that could stop his monster.

Evan tapped the space in front of Petit Dragon.

"Cerberus attacks the Dragon," said Evan. Rebecca discarded the Petit Dragon by moving it to the Graveyard, the space in front of the deck, and face-up because the opponent had seen the card. Evan took another card from his hand.

"I want to play this card…" He placed the magic card Hinotama on the table and left it there for a couple moments to activate it before discarding it.

"Isn't that…?" started Rebecca. She turned to Braiden. "Do you guys really permit overpowered cards like that?"

Braiden shrugged. "It's not a tournament or anything and you didn't ask to play under a specific regulation."

"Everyone is so desperate to beat the Low brothers that everyone agreed that anyone can use any card," said Angela. "And I've used Hinotama lots of times."

"I'm sorry," said Braiden, "but you'll have to lose 600LP."

Rebecca gritted her teeth; just like that, a chunk of her starting life points, 2000LP, gone. Angela shook her arm.

Are you in trouble?" asked Angela. Rebecca shook her head.

"It's only the first turn. I've never lost at Duel Monsters before, and I've seen some other crazy things happen."

"Really?"

"Yeah!" Rebecca pointed at Evan. "Back home, we never even used a card like that. He truly has no skill."

"If you say so…"

"Loser," said Evan. "YOU never lost? Must've been playing with bozos worse than the ones we have here."

"If you're done," said Braiden, "end your turn."

"Fine, whatever."

Rebecca drew another useless card and also laid it horizontally.

"Beaver Warrior, defense mode. I pass."

"Hmph. Trash monster." Evan drew a card and pointed at Beaver Warrior.

"Cerberus attacks the Beaver," said Evan. There was a tone of absolute boredom.

Rebecca drew another card: still nothing. She held back a sigh, considering herself lucky that Evan did nothing else to increase his advantage.

"Man Eating Plant, defense mode. I pass." Evan drew a card. To her annoyance, he was not even looking at the table; he was looking at the Monster World players.

"And…Cerberus attacks. End my turn."

Rebecca drew a card. "Defense mode, pass."

"What was it? Well, whatever." Evan drew a card, continuing to look at the Monster World players. A few of them were taking a break to come and watch the duel. "Attack."

"It must be nice to be so carefree when you duel."

Evan spun around and his eyes widened when upon seeing the defender. "O-oh, wait, I take that back-"

"No way."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Evan turned to Braiden. "Well? Isn't she supposed to say something when playing a card?"

"It's only a courtesy. And hey, you're supposed to be an up-and-coming prodigy. Who ever heard of a whining pro?"

"Favoritism. You suck," said Evan. Braiden could only shrug.

Rebecca smiled and patted Angela's shoulder. "You added a good card, Angela. Braiden, can you explain to Angela what happens next for me, please?"

"Certainly," said Braiden. Evan began grumbling. "Defending card? Is the aquatic magician Aqua Madoor, who has 2000DEF. The turn player, Evan, has the multiplier to his monster during type match-ups. In this case, water trumps fire."

"So…" started Angela. "Like rock-paper-scissors?"

"It's a little more complex," said Rebecca, "but most of that stuff is obvious anyway, or you'll figure it out with experience. In this case, water trumps fire, so his attack points get halved. So even though Madoor has fewer defense points than the 2100ATK of Cerberus, the type advantage mitigates that."

"Moving along," said Braiden. "Weaker monsters attacking a defense monster meant both survived, but the attacker loses life points as a penalty. Cerberus now attacks with 1050ATK against Madoor's 2000DEF, so Evan loses 950LP. He maintains 1050LP against Rebecca's 1400LP."

"Yes!" squealed Angela.

Hmph." Evan plucked out another card. "You're only stalling the inevitable."

"Not if you're that careless."

Evan waved the card in his hand. "Guess I shoulda played this before attacking. Fire deck's gotta deal with watery troublemakers, right?" Evan placed he magic card Raigeki on the table, and Rebecca reacted with the same horror from having seen Hinotama.

"The magic of divine thunder Raigeki annihilates your water mage," he said. Good grief, another overpowered card. "I'll pass."

Rebecca drew a card. "The All-Seeing White Tiger, defense mode. I set one card and pass." She placed the set card face-down in the row behind her monster.

"Interesting," said Evan. "But beast monsters fall to fire. I don't know what you just played, but it can't be anything special if your monster is in defense mode. If you were baiting me with a trap card, you'd keep your monster in attack mode and hope I'd attack. Am I right?"

Rebecca said nothing.

"So an attack here should be safe. But before that...I play the magic of Stop Defense!"

"N-not that card!" shouted Angela.

"Oh, yes!" Evan pointed to "The Tiger must switch to attack mode. And guess what? Multiplier can go in my favor too. When Cerberus attacks a beast monster, it gets the x1.5 multiplier, that is, its score shoots up to 3150ATK! You'll lose all your life points once my attack connects."

"You love listening to yourself a bit much," said Rebecca. She switched her monster into attack mode. "Just go."

"Flame Cerberus attacks! I win! Hahaha!"

"You just said 'attack', right?" Rebecca flipped over her set card, a trap. "I set this card last turn, so now I'm free to activate it when you stampede into its trigger condition."

"Guh!"

"You'll love the trap Angela has: the sand pit trap, Golgotha's Punishment."

"I…never heard of it."

"Well, it starts by stopping your attack and drops Cerberus's by 500ATK. Since the sand puts out fire monsters and any other fire monsters you'll summon, this card also drops Cerberus's points by another 500ATK. Also, if you summon any ground-based monsters in the future when this card is active, it'll lose an additional 500ATK when attacking."

"What in the…" he hesitated for a few moments. "Fine, I pass."

Rebecca drew another card and turned to Angela. "You really built this deck just to take out Evan, didn't you? But I'm not complaining!"

Angela grinned.

"And I'm not stopping. The Giant Turtle Who Feeds on Flames, attack mode. It attacks your Cerberus."

Evan leaned back and covered his forehead. "Did…did I just lose?"

"No," said Braiden, "But you're at death's door. I'll summarize: Cerberus originally had 2100ATK. It lost a total of 1000ATK due to the trap. Rebecca's water monster gains a x1.5 multiplier, so it shoots up from 1400ATK to 2100ATK. You lose 1000LP, and her monster proceeds to feast on the dog's dying flames, absorbing half of its 1100ATK. So not only are you dealing with a 1950ATK water monster, you're down to 50LP."

"F-fifty life points?!"

"I switch my Tiger to defense mode, set a card, and pass. Get ready to lose."

"Oh yeah? I've got plenty of moves left I can make, lots of room for an easy comeback. Like this Thunder Dragon, attack mode."

Rebecca said nothing.

"Then, I'll activate Heavy Storm to demolish whatever cards you have set. I'll follow that up by summoning Thunder Dragon."

Rebecca shrugged and jeered, "Finally going to deal real damage?"

"Not this time. By giving up my attack this turn, I'll activate Riryoku."

"Riryoku?" asked Rebecca. She turned to Braiden.

"Yet another of those overpowered cards," he said. Rebecca shook her head. "Actually, it's one of the rarest cards in the game. You could say it's a testament to the Low brothers' dedication to the game."

Rebecca's jaw dropped. Why can't the Rare Hunters rob this guy?

"That's right," said Evan. He started pumping his arm. "It halves your life points and makes my monster stronger. Why let your life points go to waste when I can power my monster up at the same time? I'll just kill your Turtle next turn. I pass. You did better than I thought you would, but 50LP will be too much for you to take."

"You're down to 700LP, Rebecca," said Braiden.

"He's catching up!" said Angela. Rebecca patted her shoulder.

"He's never going to deal real damage. All the life points I've lost are due to cheap cards, not skill on his part," she said. Drawing a card, "I switch my Turtle to defense mode and pass."

"That's what I thought," said Evan. After drawing a card, "Thunder Dragon electrocutes the Turtle. That ends my turn."

Rebecca drew Graceful Charity, so she exchanged her hand by drawing three cards from the deck and discarding two cards from the hand.

"Hmph," he said. "Struggling against my Dragon?"

"I'll summon the mage, Invitation to a Dark Sleep, attack mode. I'll hypnotize your Dragon into not attacking. Then, I switch my Tiger to attack mode. I set one card and pass."

"You're switching to attack mode? Against ME?"

"Be careful," said Angela.

"Trying to slow me down, huh?" said Evan. "But it's obvious you're setting me up for something." He drew a card. "I use Goblin's Secret Remedy to restore 600 of my life points."

"You can't do anything without cards that don't directly affect life points, can you? That's not skill at all."

"Shut up! I'll summon Mr. Volcano, and transform the field into a lava bed with the field magic of Molten Destruction. My fire monsters take 500ATK, but lose 400DEF. Well, it's not like I planned on defending…unlike you."

"Goddammit, just go already."

"Mr. Volcano attacks your Tiger for the win."

"Life doesn't hand you free things," said Rebecca. "I'll activate this trap, Two-Pronged Attack. It lets two of my monsters in attack mode cover their weaknesses, dodge your blow, and sacrifice themselves by combining their attack points to counter a target."

"Taking out Mr. Volcano? Well, I've got more fire monsters to replace him. Even my weakest monsters become more than a match for any card in your deck thanks to my power-up."

"I'm not attacking Mr .Volcano. I'm attacking Thunder Dragon."

"It's still not enough to kill me! I'll end my assault this turn, and this game, next turn!"

Braiden cleared his throat. "The counterattack brings you down to 200LP."

"He's almost dead!" exclaimed Angela.

"And he won't even have a next turn." Rebecca drew a card, but she had no need. "Armaill, attack mode."

"Huh? Trying to kill yourself?" asked Evan. "How does a 700ATK monster stand up to 2600ATK? You should have played it in defense mode."

"You can thank your own power-up that makes this next combo possible. Why do you think I played a defense-based monster in attack mode against a monster sacrificing its own defense points as leverage?"

"Wait-is that next card-NO!"

Rebecca slammed a magic card onto the table. "Shield & Sword swaps the statistics of all monsters on the field. Armaill attacks using its 1300DEF statistic. Mr. Volcano uses 1300DEF too, but your own power-up weakens it to 900DEF. You take 400LP damage and lose."

Evan fell back into his chair and stared into the ceiling.

Braiden waved his arms in the air. "Well then, looks like we have a winner."

The spectators began clapping and congratulating her on shutting up Evan. Even the Monster World players took a couple moments to clap, if perhaps to revel in the fact that the local brat lost at last. Angela hugged Rebecca.

Rebecca grinned. This applause and adulation, turning into someone respected and feared, she felt like taking on the world.

An older person emerged from the front of the store, and Rebecca took a look at a tanned, serious-faced newcomer. Rebecca guessed that he was in his late teens, and the older teen was wearing a teal collared shirt and long brown pants. Based on his appearance features, she assumed him to be Evan's big brother. The Duel Monsters players turned to face him as the Monster World players went back to resume their game.

For a moment, Rebecca thought she saw loathing between the newcomer and Braiden.

"What happened here?" asked the newcomer.

"The new kid in town: Rebecca won," said Braiden. He slid off the table. "Carl, your brother finally lost a duel to someone using one of Angela's decks."

Carl studied Rebecca and she took an immediate disliking to him. He walked over to Angela and asked for her deck. Shaking, she complied, and as he sifted through her cards, his face became disgusted.

"Evan," he said, "you can't be serious."

Evan sighed and kept staring at the ceiling.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!" No response from Evan. Carl shook his head and returned Angela's deck.

Evan stood up. With his head bowed, he slid his hands into his pockets before slouching away. His deck remained on the table.

"And where do you think you're going?" said Rebecca. Evan froze. "I think you owe me a lot of things right now."

"What's this about?" asked Carl.

"He and I made a bet, in front of all these people, where the loser would obey the winner's demands. Or is your brother a coward?"

"Drop it. Or else, why don't you go double or nothing?"

"Huh?"

Carl took out his own deck. "If I win, we cancel that whole arrangement as you kneel and apologize. If you win…well, you'll have struck a blow to my rep."

"Sounds fair, except I don't have a deck with me."

"Sure you do. How about that pro deck you just fought Evan with?" A grin crept on Carl's face. Rebecca wiped her forehead. "Huh, must've been luck. Want to back down?"

She hesitated.

"Thought so."

"Hey," said Braiden. "Better idea. Why not take it to the Qualifiers?"

"Qualifiers?" asked Rebecca.

"Yeah, you can register online. It'll be a more interesting way to settle this dispute."

"Qualify for what?"

"You don't know? For the American National Duel Monsters Tournament, the ANDMT, in New York. Qualifier's tomorrow, our region takes place at Las Vegas."

"But she has no deck," said Carl. "If she had to play with those junk cards, there's no point in her trying to enter."

"With her spunk, I'm sure she'll figure out something."

"I'll find one," said Rebecca. She walked up to Carl. He seemed tall and imposing, but the bigger they are, the harder they fall. "And I'll definitely beat you."

They both stared at each other. "Like hell you will," he said.


	3. Rookie vs Pro

**CHAPTER 3**

"You want to participate in the ANDMT?" Sitting behind the desk, Rebecca's grandfather tilted his head. Outside, it was dusk, and the only thing lighting the office was a lamp on his desk. The dim room forced Rebecca to wonder how her grandfather could even see her sitting across the desk. "I didn't know you were that interested in Duel Monsters."

"I am."

"Hmm…before we proceed, I heard that you defeated one of the Low brothers in a duel? Using the weakest player's deck? Is that true?"

"The only damage he dealt came from cheap cards. The younger one's not that good. But I haven't played the older one."

Her grandfather folded his arms. "I see. You wouldn't happen to be interested in this tournament just because of a grudge?"

Of course, Rebecca shook her head.

"Tell you what." Rebecca's eyes could have lit the room when he opened a cabinet, took out a deck, and set it on the desk. "I'll let you borrow this deck on one condition: that you don't change the cards in it."

"Why?"

He smiled. "These cards, this deck arrangement is precious to me. They're like a memento; I'd feel like I'd betray the soul of these cards if this deck was to change."

"Oh! It's no problem!" Anything decent works at this point, even with such a stupid condition. Rebecca reached over and grabbed the deck. The room was still dim, but she could still make out the cards. "This is an interesting strategy you have."

"You can go, if you want."

"By the way, I have a question that I just remembered."

"Oh? What would that be?"

"Before I dueled, the boys said you were the crazy man who compared Duel Monsters and ancient Egypt. What's that about?"

Her grandfather shook his head. "It's a controversial claim I've made. Knowing you, I wouldn't be surprised if you ended up rejecting my theory. "

"Huh?"

"Let me get something." He rustled out a journal and placed it on the desk. "In here is what I believe to be proof that Duel Monsters has existed long ago."

Rebecca opened the journal and started turning through it. Even though the room was fairly dim, she could still make out some of the photos. To her surprise, several of them bore resemblance to their modern counterparts, even similar artwork.

"What in the-" She shook her head. "So did Pegasus get inspiration from this place, or is this all someone's idea of a prank?"

"I think it's the former, of course, but Industrial Illusions never made an official comment. So you'll hear the prank theory a lot."

Rebecca closed the book and sighed.

"Like I said, I won't hold it against you for disagreeing."

"Of course I'll believe in my grandpa, it's just-" she shook her head again. "Strange."

He nodded. "My work has all been funded by my colleagues and an occasional secret donation from Industrial Illusions as a curiosity. As you can see, I'm sure, you wouldn't be surprised if the efforts of me and my colleagues have been denounced as the work of crackpots."

"I guess if I were them, I might be thinking the same thing too." Rebecca took out her deck. "Speaking of Duel Monsters, I guess I should actually register and confirm my deck list."

"Good idea." The sound of clicking and typing echoed in the room.

Supposing that now was a good time as any, Rebecca tapped the monitor. "By the way, do you have a spare computer or laptop I can borrow?"

"Why?"

"Don't be so old-fashioned! I can do all kinds of things with a computer!"

"Are you sure that's a good idea? I've heard that you've gotten in trouble for hacking, and I don't want it traced to here."

"But that was long ago! I promise not to do that kind of stuff again!"

"Well, I guess if you're going to be here awhile anyway, I don't see why not."

Rebecca ran around the desk to hug her grandfather. "Thank you!"

"Of course, it's going to be something old like me."

* * *

Inside a little electronics store closed for the day were Braiden and a sharp-dressed man.

"Yeah," said Braiden. "Card Professors take a clean sweep in the Qualifiers, the usual."

"Did you get the updated roster?"

"That I did. If you'll wire my pay the usual way, I think that should be about everything."

"Yeah, I'll see you around, Braiden." The sharp-dressed man turned to leave, but stopped. "By the way, have you heard about the Rare Hunters infiltrating our ranks?"

"Huh?"

"Rumor has it that 'Seeker' Steve himself is affiliated with the Rare Hunters. For some reason, our finances keep dwindling off into these strange expenses. I can't get a straight answer out of him."

"I don't care about rumors, but I'll 'bug' him, if that's what you're after."

The sharp-dressed man bowed his head before exiting. "That'd be greatly appreciated."

"Then consider it done. Tell you what; you just paid for a big job again. How about I throw in that little detail for free? I'll be able to stop by the day after anyway."

"Thank you. The Card Professors are lucky to have guys like you."

Braiden shrugged after the sharp-dressed man left and muttered, "Yup, that'll get done the day after never. The RHs are lucky to have guys like me." The telephone started ringing. After indulging a sigh, he picked up the phone.

"Hello, Braiden's Electronics, Braiden speaking. Ah, Steve, you owe me one again. Ha, 'for what?' Don't know what you've been up to, but the guy who asks me to rig the games every so often mentioned these 'strange expenses.' I guess I'll stop by the day after to make sure you're not bugged or anything, I doubt they'll take well that the top guy is stealing their coffers."

After hearing a couple words in response, Braiden continued. "So what're you calling about? Huh? Yeah, I got the preparations for I2, just finished them. Problem is, I need a pro techie. No, we can't just send another one; if cracking it was that easy, one of our spies in there would've done it already. From what they've managed to figure out though, there's some tricky security. We won't know what we're up against until the day of, and I'm not sure I can handle it. Wish our spies weren't all flushed from security, life would've been much easier. I don't know how they keep figuring it out. It's like Pegasus asks to see them, then they get fired a week later. Damn uncanny."

There was a pause, and Braiden raised an eyebrow after hearing Steve's suggestion.

"…Seriously?" Braiden chuckled. "Little girls don't hack into top-class security! And how am I even supposed to coax her? We actually did meet, but…fine, I'll think of something. We'll do it at the Qualifiers."

* * *

"Rebecca, are you ready to go?" asked her grandfather. "It's going to be a two-hour drive, so there's no turning back once we've started. Do you have your deck and everything?"

"Yeah, I'm ready." She heard someone honking. Her eyes could almost make out a car outside beneath a dark sky. "Is that your colleague you were talking about?"

"Indeed. He's good at procuring artifacts. Well them, let us depart."

The car was appeared to be an older model with a colored teal, but her vision that far was a little blurry and the sky was still dark. Rubbing her eyes from having to get up so early, Rebecca took a back seat as her grandfather took the front passenger seat. The driver appeared to be an older man, though not old as her grandfather. His hair held its brown color but was receding to reveal much of his creased forehead, and he wore square, brown spectacles. With his business suit, her impression of him was that of a salaryman.

"So you're the Hawkins granddaughter and the kid who beat Evan?" She nodded and shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, I'm Andrews Lake."

"I heard you play Duel Monsters, Mr. Lake?" asked Rebecca. Andrews started the car.

"Just call me Andrews. And yeah, I do play it. In fact, your grandfather never was able to win against me."

"Just once," said her grandfather, "I'd like to beat him. But he has near-perfect reads on what the opponent is planning, what strategy they're using; he's almost as skilled as Pegasus at figuring out the opponent's strategy."

Andrews laughed. "You might as well play with you cards open."

Her grandfather grinned. "By the way, not only did she beat Evan, but Rebecca claims to have never lost, so you might have competition this time."

"But the Qualifiers are on a whole different level."

"Just sit back and watch," said Rebecca. "I'll qualify with you and several others."

Andrews laughed. "Then pray you don't have to fight me. By the way, Arthur, did you ever change your deck?"

"No," said Rebecca. "The only reason I have it is that I promised not to change it."

"Well, just make sure you don't sympathize with that attitude. It'll be your downfall."

"I can win with anything!"

Her grandfather beamed. "You see!? That's the heart of a winner. It's not all about the cards, Andrews. With an attitude like that, I just know Rebecca will qualify!"

"Times have changed, Arthur."

Her grandfather frowned. "Has becoming a Card Professor changed you that much?"

"When pride and money are on the line, you do what you can to win."

"You've been wrapped up in this game a lot recently."

"Hey, I still come to work with you, right?"

"Sometimes, I guess."

Andrews chuckled, but the car ride was silent. At one point, he turned on the radio, whose channel was glorifying Keith's easy victory at his region's Qualifiers and a post-Qualifier interview asking how he felt. As usual, he had a few choice words for his opponents.

"…And I can't wait to fight Pegasus," said Keith. "Get myself the title of Duel Monsters Champion. Creator of the game is a #$%# compared to me."

"But don't you have to beat the rest of the field to participate in that match?"

"Are you #$%# kidding? I still haven't lost a match. In fact, they had to ban the One Turn Kill I came up with after the tournament." Keith laughed. "I'm just that #$%# good."

"Limiter Removal combined with Barrel Dragon's three attacks? You have to be pretty lucky to escape three attacks at 5400ATK."

"Well hey, tournament directors pay me big bucks to help them figure out ban lists and all that #$%#. Besides, someone like me doesn't need-"

"I hate that guy so much." Andrews turned the radio off. "We're here."

Rebecca looked around. Cars were everywhere, people were everywhere, and the sun was rising. There was a large yellow-orange dome surrounded attached to a smaller dome. Statues of Duel Monsters surrounded the building.

"What's with the design?" she asked.

"This place holds the Qualifiers for our region. We get thousands interested in taking their shot for the main event."

"How many qualify? They can't expect one person to make their way through all this?"

"A whopping elite four."

Rebecca sighed. "How do they keep track of everyone?"

"Arthur, could you open the glove compartment for me, please? Thanks."

Andrews unbuckled his seatbelt and reached over to grab a couple black tablets. They appeared a little smaller than the size of a piece of paper, with the letters "I2" stylized under the screen. Rebecca caught the tablet he chucked to her.

"They use touch tablets to keep track of results. Industrial Illusions subsidizes these, which saves a lot more in time and energy for everyone. The process is automated, and everybody isn't stampeding to take a look at some sheet of paper posted on the wall."

Rebecca turned on the tablet. On a light-blue sky background, a message appeared greeting her by name. She looked back at Andrews.

"Usually, you register further ahead of time so that they can hand these out before everyone comes together, but Braiden is the one who sets them up for our area. That means you're in luck; he gave me one to give to you when he figured you'd join. You're smart, so I reckon you can figure out how to use it."

"Thanks." One button in the top left-hand corner claimed to be the match schedule. Rebecca tapped the button, and her eyes widened.

The center of the tablet now read: Name: Hawkins, R., Table: 1956 (Room B50), Opponent: Banias, T., Match begins in...

Banias...she remembered the name; Ted Banias was supposed to be a prize hunter like Keith! If Ted was her first opponent…they paired her like she was a newbie; her first opponent would start against one of the top Duelists in the nation!

"Something the matter?" her grandfather asked.

"Err, you guys heard of Ted Banias?" said Rebecca.

"That guy's a regular winner, but I didn't realize he returned to this region." Andrews laughed. "I guess you're not even getting past stage one. Still, you should be honored to fight a Card Professor."

Rebecca smiled. "I wonder how I'll feel when I win."

"You'll be the talk of…well, everywhere if you actually win. Imagine: 'unknown girl trumps top player.' But don't get your hopes up."

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do."

Andrews held up his hands, but grinned. "Sorry, sorry."

After leaving the car, the three of them made through the parking lot and onto the pavilion. Everyone around them was careful not to bump into everyone else, and several had taken to the grass to talk or to walk past the mob. On the pavilion, it is impossible to even extend an arm. The slow walk took about fifteen minutes, when the trio made it inside.

Once inside, the crowds dispersed to go every which way. The interior had a concrete floor, with help desks ("I forgot my tablet!"), vendors ("Who eats popcorn this early?"), and groups of people conversing with each other ("I heard Ted's a late entrant here"). Large signs hanging from the ceiling directed duelists and spectators this way and that.

"Guess we part here," said Andrews. "I'm in the main dome, which happens to be the one that houses spectators. Your grandfather won't be able to watch since you're an unknown registrant, meaning you're starting out stuck in a side dome."

"I guess I'll get to the main dome late, then."

"Enthusiasm is always the first step," said Andrews.

"I know you can do it," said her grandfather. Rebecca smiled. "Good luck, Rebecca! I'll be in the stands of the main dome."

She nodded, and the three waved each other off.

Rebecca checked her tablet. There was a little under fifty minutes left before her match would begin. She started figuring out where to go when someone tapped her shoulder.

"Hey, if it isn't Rebecca!"

"Braiden?" Turning her head, Rebecca confirmed that he was indeed Braiden. Instead of casual wear, was a suit, and he had a tablet tucked under his arm.

"Fancy seeing you here! You know who you're playing against yet? They ought to have it up by now."

"Ted Banias," she said. Braiden's smiled.

"That's pretty unlucky."

"I can take him."

Braiden chuckled before patting her shoulder. "I wouldn't be surprised."

Rebecca chose to say nothing.

"Hey," he asked, "if you have some free time between matches, I was wondering if you'd be able to try something interesting."

"Like what?"

"I heard from your grandfather in a conversation some time ago that you were good with programming. The way he spoke of you, I just had to see for myself."

"You need my help to program something?"

"Uh, it's like a puzzle I solved a while ago. One of my friends asked me to write a program for something. Of course I had not trouble, but this is just for fun, and you ought to have spare time or something after a duel. I'm not forcing this on you or anything; I just thought you might be interested. But if you are, take care to finish before the Qualifiers are over."

"I'll definitely look at it later, then."

He touched the screen on his tablet. "Great! I just sent a copy to you. And good luck!"

"By the way, I heard you managed to get me my tablet beforehand. Thanks!"

Braiden grinned and waved off Rebecca.

She eventually found the corridor, and made her way around the dome's circumference. The walk took about ten minutes, and Rebecca found an appreciation for the size of the dome, likening it to the size of a football stadium. Making her way into the smaller dome, she encountered, at least hundreds, if not thousands, walking ("I'm so anxious!"), talking ("Every card Keith plays is a #$%# OTK"), and practicing ("Your monster loses its points and dies GG man") as if it were a convention. Most players appeared to be in their late teens, but there were people of all ages.

What Rebecca had a hard time getting over, however, was that there were rows of bench tables everywhere. Overcrowding was of no concern, seeing how there were duel mats with plenty of space in between.

Turning on her tablet, there was less than ten minutes before the first duel began. Bored, she loaded the program that Braiden gave her. Rebecca blinked as she read the code.

This was closer to writing a virus to hack a database.

In addition, writing this required better technology than just a tablet, at the least, a computer. Why did Braiden even give something like this to her? Regardless, her mind began pondering the answer. The first problem was to find a computer. She looked at the tables of the officials. There were a few computers there, but there was no way those officials would let her use a computer for a weird reason Maybe waiting a little bit was best?

In what seemed like a few minutes later, Rebecca heard the thump of a backpack and looked up to see a man in his twenties. He had a long, thick fringe covering half his right face, along with tired ridges under his eyes. Clothing was casual, cargo pants and grey t-shirt.

"You R. Hawkins?" he asked. He drew his seat.

"And you're T. Banias?"

"Cool. Guess you're my first opponent." They shook hands, and Rebecca gave him her usual smirk.

"I believe you meant your only opponent."

Ted chuckled and they took out their decks. "Well…you're not the favorite, but I can appreciate a bit of confidence. Half the people who go against dudes like Keith piss their pants."

After shuffling and cutting each other's cards, Ted folded his arms and scanned the room. Rebecca noticed a few minutes remained before the games started, and everyone was settling into their tables.

"Y'know, I just transferred to this region," said Ted. "Guess I can't complain too much, but I wanted to take on Keith again."

"I hear Keith has a lot of respect for you for the tough game you handed him."

"Pity I lost ten grand for losing, but what can you do."

Ten grand!? "High-stakes Duel Monsters?"

"It's nothing, actually. Keith even offered me a hundred grand if he were to lose."

"Hey!" said a man behind Ted. He patted his shoulder. "Fancy seeing you here! Rumors are true after all?"

"Guess so," replied Ted.

"Why aren't you in the main arena showing off your skills?"

"Last-minute transfer. I won't get to play in there for a while. Or so say the officials."

"So you ready for this?"

"If I can fight Keith to a standstill, I can fight everyone else."

Rebecca wanted to defeat Ted if it was the last thing she did.

**DUEL 2**: vs. Ted

Rebecca and Ted drew five cards. Ted, quick on the draw, drew an extra card.

"Guess I'll go first. Spike Rhinoceros, attack mode," said Ted. "Pass."

Time to fight! Rebecca's first tournament's first match was against one of the best players with a deck she had no experience playing. Out of the gate, Ted summons a powerful attacker. Shrugging off her shivering, she drew a card.

"Sangan, defense mode," said Rebecca. A weak monster for the opening, but it had the ability to get other monsters into her hand. "I pass."

"Instead of attacking this turn," said Ted while taking a card from his hand, "I'll set a card and pass."

Great. One of the handfuls of traps in the game so powerful that force its user to declare the card and skip his attack.

"You seem puzzled," said Ted. "Nervous? Scared?"

"No way," said Rebecca. Her mind had just managed to throw off her nervousness, now entranced in dueling one of the top players. "How about you?"

"Me? I got nothing to worry about. You know how pairings work in tournaments: in the first rounds, the weakest have to fight the strongest."

"They must have a low opinion of you, then." He glared as Rebecca drew a card. "I set one card and summon Millennium Shield, defense mode."

"You just played a monster in defense mode, right?" asked Ted. Rebecca wanted to slap herself; of course it would be that card, and she played right into it anyway. With a smirk, Ted flipped over his face-down card. "Amateur. That triggers my trap card: Defense Paralysis."

The trap forced her monsters into attack mode. Rebecca switched her Sangan and Shield up-right into attack mode and did her best to keep a straight face; her deck was based off of weaker monsters using their abilities and made good use of defense mode.

But if he sealed defense mode, he could go for the kill!

"So," said Ted. "Is that really a Millennium Shield?"

"I pass."

Ted laughed as he drew a card.

"It's time," said Ted. "That Millennium Shield is a rare card with awesome defensive power, but it can't do anything in attack mode. And since that Shield is a rare card, I'll match your rare for rare. Assault Lion, attack mode."

Rebecca looked at the card he just summoned; it had a massive 2600ATK.

"You know what happens next: one-hit kill, good game." Ted held out his hand.

"But it's not over."

Ted shook his head and retracted his hand. "Going to be a sore loser?"

"You just declared an attack with your monster, right?" She flipped over her set card. "Even I know that Defense Paralysis is the one of the most well-known cards that forces the user to declare and skip their attack; I wouldn't risk triggering it without a back-up plan!"

"What are you getting at?"

"An attack triggers my trap, Mirror Force!"

"Tch. You're not going to go down quietly, are you?"

It appeared that he knew what Mirror Force did: it deflected the attack back to all monsters to surprise and kill them. Meanwhile, the attacking player took damage based on the combined difference of the attacking monster and each of the other monster weaker monsters in attack mode. So in this case, Assault Lion and Spike Rhinoceros both die from a 2600ATK. Ted discarded his monsters on the table, losing 800LP

"First strike is mine" she said.

"Don't worry, you'll get yours in time. I end my turn," said Ted. Rebecca looked at his face: it was still calm, as if he knew the end result was still his victory, perhaps with good reason.

After all, Defense Paralysis remained on the field. It was not a one-time trick; it was a lingering permanent trap. There was nothing to do but find a workaround.

Rebecca drew a card. Even if the situation was bad, she wanted to press whatever initiative she made.

"Cannon Soldier, attack mode," she said. It was a weak card, but still one of the deck's strongest monsters. "I'll use its ability to attack you directly. By lowering its points by 1000ATK this turn and sacrificing a monster, Millennium Shield, it deals direct damage of 400LP."

"Dammit."

"I end my turn."

He drew a card and picked another monster.

"Garoozis, attack mode." Here was yet another powerful beast-warrior monster. "He attacks the Cannon Soldier."

The attack dealt 400LP damage. Rebecca still had twice his life points, but this duel needed to end before he caught up and blazed past her in the race to inflict damage.

She drew a card and she smiled; it was rare equipment.

"Mystic Tomato, attack mode," said Rebecca. She laid the magic equipment card face-up below the Tomato. "And I equip it with the Axe of Despair."

"Another rare card, huh? I didn't realize an amateur would have such a number of rare cards in her deck."

"I didn't realize a pro would struggle this badly against someone who never fought in a tournament before."

He clenched one of his hands. "You're pretty cheeky for a rookie."

"Tomato attacks Garoozis. That ends my turn."

Ted grimaced and discarded Garoozis. With that, he had only 200LP! One more strike and she would not only win, but win against one of the top players in the nation! However, he soon regained composure and shook his head.

"Don't start daydreaming just yet. But I gotta hand it to ya. It's been a while since anyone whose name isn't Keith pushed me this far, let alone an amateur. You definitely have potential."

"Really."

"I better start playing some more of my own rare cards. Hurgh!" He slammed Garnecia Elefantis onto the table in attack mode. "And I think I'll clobber the Sangan."

She cringed. 2400ATK against 1000ATK? It was no contest; in one move, he dealt 1400LP damage, and they now both had the same score of a mere 200LP. At this point whoever could damage the other side first would win.

In the meantime, thanks to Sangan's ability, Rebecca took another Cannon Soldier from her deck and showed it to Ted before adding it into her hand and shuffling her deck. Just one more direct hit with Cannon Soldier!

"I set a card and end my turn," said Ted.

Rebecca heard some players saying "good game" with some celebratory shouts and miserable groans. She glanced to see other duels must be finishing.

One of those duels included the man who spoke with Ted earlier took his deck and stood up, but instead of leaving, walked over to where Ted was. From the same table, a girl in her teens grinned and waved at Ted, but he said nothing. She walked towards them. The girl's clothes were casual: a white and pink striped shirt and jeans, but with a belt loose around her waist. She was light-skinned, but her hair and eyes were dark brown.

"What's the score?" asked the girl.

Rebecca continued concentrating on Ted and drew a card.

"200LP each," said Ted.

"Wait, really?" she asked. She started rubbing his shoulders. "That makes this board all the more intense. Two high-powered monsters with 2400ATK waiting to kill-"

"How's Carl doing? I heard someone beat his kid brother?"

Rebecca's head jolted.

"It was against a pretty bad deck, too," she said. "Supposedly, this one young girl took him down; word spread and, well..."

"Guess Steve's crossed his name out. Pity he never even got to begin his career"

She gave him a stern look. "You don't have to be so callous!"

"'Cept most of us don't care."

"If you say so." The teenager's cheerful face returned as she gazed into Rebecca's eyes. "Who knows? Maybe that's the girl who beat Evan. I heard that same girl joined this Qualifier at the last minute. Weren't you a last-minute entry too? If a young girl is doing this well against you, she could easily be the same person. Look out!"

She exaggerated an expression of surprise. Ted sneered and made a light shove.

"Are you two done talking?" said Rebecca. "You can go make out with each other later."

"It's been your turn," he replied. "But yeah, Tana, go make out with Carl. My smokin' hot girlfriend over here gets jealous quickly."

Rebecca could not help but blush at that odd comment as Tana giggled.

"Well then, be gentle," said Tana. "I'm gonna get something to eat. Have fun!"

Once she left, "What was that about?" asked Rebecca.

"Co-worker's girlfriend; she's pretty much like that with everybody. Almost beat the Qualifiers last time, but her last opponent at the end was me."

"Interesting," said the man next to her. He tapped Rebecca's shoulder. "You really the kid who beat Evan?"

"And what if I am?"

The man shrugged. "I heard that lots of groups were scouting him, including the famed Card Professors. But I guess he's a goner. You know, there's a huge load of money to be made playing Duel Monsters, and they all look you over if you lose to some nobody."

"Who are you calling 'some nobody'!?"

"Well, like I said earlier, I'll admit you're not too bad," said Ted. "Maybe I'll see if I can refer you or something like that once this is over."

"Or maybe I can vouch for myself."

"I thought you'd say that."

Rebecca stared at her Cannon Soldier. She could win the game here with a direct attack, but the problem was that he had seen Cannon Soldier during Sangan's searching ability. Ted had a card set. Was it a bluff? She studied her new card, De-Spell; it was one of the magic cards that could activate on an opponent's turn. Like its name suggested, it dispersed magic cards, but odds were good his card was a trap.

She thought of attacking, but Tomato was her strongest monster. Losing Tomato would only benefit him, meaning he would probably attack it anyway next turn.

"I'll just set this. Your turn," said Rebecca.

A look of disappointment crossed Ted's face, but he drew a card.

"You better hope that was a good card," he said. "Because I'm attacking with Elefantis."

"I didn't think you'd let me keep an advantage," said Rebecca. She shook her head. "I guess it can't be helped."

"Forget advantage, I'm going for the win." She held her breath while he took a card on his hand. His face was smug. "I'll activate Malevolent Nuzzler to power up my monster with 700ATK; Elefantis attacks Tomato."

"I counter with De-Spell."

"Tch…" His face registered a little frustration. "Our monsters die in the draw."

"But since my Tomato died, I can summon another dark-attribute monster from the deck. So I guess I'll just summon another Tomato in attack mode."

"Zero originality. Hmph, I can still summon Rude Kaiser in defense mode. My turn is done." A decent beast-warrior, but he had it in defense mode, perhaps against an attack by a strong monster. Rebecca drew a card.

Looking at her hand's Cannon Soldier first and then the face-down card on Ted's side, Rebecca wanted to make her move. If it was a trap, she had no choice but to walk in. If she waited, Kaiser would finish her off during his next turn. There was but one path to walk.

"Cannon Soldier, attack mode," said Rebecca. I'll use its ability to attack you-"

"Wait," interrupted Ted. "You're declaring an attack, which means you had to have entered Battle Phase to do so."

"Yeah, what of it?" But even Rebecca had to acknowledge the strain in her voice.

"My trap card triggers the moment you start your Battle Phase."

His face registered a little disappointment. He flipped over his set card and Rebecca breathed with relief, but then shook her head when noted that the duel was still in his favor.

"My card, Blue on Blue, will force your monsters to fight each other."

Rebecca swallowed. "So my two monsters have to fight? Pity I'm not losing life points, they're the same strength."

"Yeah, but look at it the other way, they both die in one shot. I guess you get to stall your defeat one turn since you'll end this one without needing to play a monster."

She indeed had that option: if a player started a turn with a monster, they can end it without one. However, if a player started a turn without a monster and did not attempt to summon by that turn's end, that forced an auto-forfeit. In addition, Mystic Tomato's summoning was optional.

"So close," muttered the man. Rebecca heard murmured agreements and realized that several more people were watching. Her body started to tense.

"I set this card and pass," said Rebecca.

"Graceful Charity. I think a change of hand would be nice about now anyway." He exchanged his cards. "Nice. I'm activating Monster Reborn to revive Assault Lion, attack mode. And I'll end my turn by setting a card."

Rebecca looked at the monster he just revived and sighed. The Lion was waiting to assault her hopes for the tournament again. The next monster she played would need more to defeat it…yet not even her secret weapon could win at this time. And without defense mode, there was no more stalling. Looking at her hand, nothing could help. She had a few cards in her deck that might help, but it would take great luck. Her next card had to be one of her own two Graceful Charities, or it was "good game."

She hesitated for a moment. No, Rebecca told herself that she HAD to draw it. Taking a deep breath, she drew the card.

ASDALSKF YES!

"I'll also use Graceful Charity," said Rebecca. She drew three cards. The cards she needed had to be among them-and they were! She discarded two monsters.

"A last-ditch attempt to get the cards you need, eh?"

"I did it, I really did it!"

"Huh?"

Trump card time! "Shadow Ghoul, attack mode."

Ted's groaned as if in pain. Rebecca picked out the monsters in her Graveyard and revealed them to Ted. He hesitated, but upon counting them, grinned.

"I only count eight," he said. "Eight dead monsters give your Ghoul +800ATK, meaning it has 2400ATK. You're still short. Don't scare me like that."

"I have another card that I drew, though: Painful Choice."

"I'm guessing that you're taking five monsters, right?"

"Yeah." She spread them out on the table. "Which one do you want me to keep?"

"Doesn't matter." A true statement. She picked one at random and discarded the rest.

"Shadow Ghoul gains 400 attack points and is now at 2800." A decisive stat! She eyed his set card. If it was a trap, there was nothing to do but accept it. Rebecca took one last deep breath and sighed. "My Ghoul attacks your Lion!"

"You came so close, Rebecca," said Ted. His face was smug, and Rebecca hated that tone. "I'll admit that I underestimated you. With a bit more experience, you'll definitely go far in future tournaments. But I win today."

"Huh?"

"I'll activate my face-down magic card, Shadow Spell." A magic card! "It blocks your attack and deducts 700ATK from Shadow Ghoul. On my turn, I'll attack and win."

"So you're trying to win with a magic card, right?" asked Rebecca.

"Huh? Yeah, it's a magic card I can play on the opponent's turn. It's extremely useful." Rebecca copied his smug look from before and flipped over her set card.

"I've a trap for magic: Magic Jammer!" Ted's expression changed into horror. Before him was a rare card which countered other magic cards or negated magic-based abilities. "I can discard a card to negate Shadow Spell-I still get to attack. You lose!"

Ted dropped the cards in his cards onto the table as Rebecca sighed and leaned back into her chair. She had just defeated one of the top Duel Monsters players in the USA! Gently setting down her cards, she looked up at the ceiling for a few moments before offering to shake hands.

"Good game," said Rebecca. She stretched out her hand. "You came so close, Ted. I'll admit that I underestimated you, but I win today."

"Damn mockingbird." He swatted her hand away, picked up his cards, and stormed off as the spectators began murmuring about the result.


	4. Battle of the Graveyard

**CHAPTER 4**

Next on the agenda was to discuss that program with Braiden.

"Did you win?" he asked.

"I did," she said, He raised an eyebrow, but Rebecca ignored it and continued, "And you DID realize you were building a virus, right?"

"It was, uh, a friendly prank. Hey, don't glare like that." He sighed. "Well, if you don't want to work on it, then-"

"Oh no, I didn't say I wouldn't work on it." She narrowed her eyes. "Would you mind if I were to connect this thing to your computer? It would help a lot."

"Sorry, but I need it to help out with the players' technical problems, you know? And-"

"How about I bring this to an official and show them you sent me a virus? I'm sure you can let me work on it between duels."

Braiden at first glanced around to see if nobody was watching. Then he nodded.

"But won't it look suspicious if people see a girl staffing tech service?" he asked.

"Just hover over my shoulder and say that you're helping me look for something."

"I…well then. I can't do that for an extended period, but for a few minutes, sure."

"Then come up with a reason to get someone else off their computer."

"Tch…fine, fine."

"Then it's settled. Lead the way."

Braiden shook his head, but complied.

When they reached the technical service desk, one other man was on duty. Braiden logged in and let Rebecca sit down. The co-worker eyed the new girl, but seeing Braiden, the man said nothing and shrugged before returning to his own screen.

The Qualifier duels interrupted her progress, but she kept pace. The program was tricky, and for a moment, Rebecca wondered if it would have been better for there to be even more rounds than there already were. She could always forfeit to make time for this, although that could wait until she defeated Carl. Perhaps it was poor luck, but they had yet to meet. Besides, how would she look, running away from an important match?

Braiden made a loud cough. Rebecca glanced at the clock; it was almost time for her Qualifier's semi-finals, but there was much work remaining. She sighed and stepped aside so he could sit. The deadline seemed a bit much, and Rebecca wanted to show him how good she was, but the time constraint was just too much. Maybe she should ask for just another hour?

"Wait a second," he said. He opened a word processor and started typing.

Rebecca held her breath as she read what he had to write.

_I've seen enough. You're clever on and off the computer, so I've decided on doing business with you. I hold something of interest: I know the individual responsible for organizing the murder of your family and how to get back for him. However, I need you to do a job for me. If your performance here is indication of anything, I know you have what it takes. I'll contact you soon after the Qualifiers if you're interested._

**DUEL 3**: vs. Andrews

How many rounds did it take her to make it here, the main arena? Rebecca lost count as she took her seat. But here she was, sitting in one of eight tables in front of countless spectators. Their endless chatter and shouting could take her ears away.

At last, they would be able to watch the reason Ted lost!

"To be honest, I'm surprised you managed to get this far," said Andrews. "I feel a little bad about being the one to take you down though. And with your deck unchanged…"

"I'm not going to lose like my grandpa," said Rebecca. "Don't underestimate me."

Andrews chuckled. "It's time to get started. You can go first."

They drew their cards.

"Mystic Tomato, defense mode. I pass"

"Defense mode, huh? Monkey see, monkey do. Battle Ox, defense mode, and I pass too."

"Huh?" Why? Doesn't Battle Ox have more use in attack mode? Here, the Ox was an easy kill. Did he want her to attack? Was there some deeper meaning, like bait so on his next turn he could make a powerful counterattack? Then why waste a decent attacker?

Andrews smiled and asked, "Stalling already?"

Rebecca drew a card and hesitated. Her first thought was to pass, but this was too good of an opportunity to kill a powerful enemy monster on the field.

"I'm switching Mystic Tomato into attack mode, and then Tomato attacks the Ox. I set one card and summon Millennium Shield, defense mode. I end my turn."

He drew a card. "I bet it's the Shield-Ring combo."

Rebecca winced; of course he played this deck enough times. "Maybe I'm bluffing."

He grinned. "Maybe you're not. Gremlin, attack mode. It strikes down your Tomato."

She flipped over her set card. "Ring of Magnetism. It'll equip to my Shield and deduct its defense from 3000DEF to 2500DEF. Gremlin has only 2000ATK, so you'll lose 500LP."

"Heh." Andrews seemed unbothered, even smiling, despite losing 500LP "I figured you'd do something like that. I end my turn"

"If you knew what my card was, why did you make that attack unaided? Did you really think I was bluffing?"

"I thought 500LP was a small price to pay to confirm my read on your tactics. And now, if you're really playing the same deck, I predict a counterattack with Axe of Despair."

"Something like that," she muttered. Rebecca drew a card and equipped the Axe of Despair to her Tomato. "Tomato attacks Gremlin."

Andrews grinned as he discarded the Gremlin and proceeded to deduct another 400LP.

"I set one card and pass," she said. "But even if you can read my tactics, your game is so damn awful right now. What's the point of reading my tactics if you just blunder forward?"

"And yet, I'm somehow at the semifinal match regarding which players qualify." He drew a card. "Golden Pegasus, attack mode. I'll pass again."

Shaking her head, Rebecca blinked at his new card; this was the inverse situation with the Ox. Golden Pegasus had a strong DEF that it could even block her powered-up Tomato, yet he chose to play it in attack mode.

"I'd really appreciate it if you'd knock off the BS," said Rebecca. "I'm getting really annoyed, really fast."

"Don't worry; I'm not giving free handicaps. None of your grandfather's decks could defeat me, and I'm not starting now. But to be honest, I'm a bit surprised with your attitude. Surely a genius like you can appreciate a tactical sacrifice, right?"

Disgusted, Rebecca drew a card. "I've got my defensive and attacking combos out. You're not going to get past them both! "Mystic Tomato attacks the Golden Pegasus and I end my turn. Now you only have 200LP. You won't win, let alone scratch my life points!"

Andrews chuckled. "I'm sorry; I just have to admire your enthusiasm. But since everything is finally set in place and I still have life points, I'm afraid to say this game will be your loss. My next card: the wizard Zombiemaster, attack mode!"

"Zombiemaster?"

"You run a Shadow Ghoul deck, right?" he asked. She nodded. "Well, my deck works a lot like yours; and only instead of Shadow Ghoul, Zombiemaster is the centerpiece! It only has a base of 500ATK/DEF, but for each of my monsters destroyed by battle, he gets 400ATK due to his ability to manipulate the dead. You destroyed three monsters so far; he now has 1700ATK."

"It's still no match for my Tomato or defense combo."

"I set one card and pass," said Andrews.

Rebecca drew a card. "All that build-up and not even an attack?"

"You can't kill him."

"Oh yeah? My Tomato attacks Zombiemaster."

"I don't think so." He flipped over his set card. "Golgotha's Punishment weakens Tomato by 500ATK and negates its attack."

"Fine. I pass."

Andrews drew a card. "I set two cards"

He continued. "Now then, you seemed confident in your victory no matter what I could have played this turn." Andrews picked a card from his hand and glanced at her set card. "After all, Tomato had a good chance at killing anything I play, even winning, despite the possibility of me playing defense mode. Perhaps you have a Stop Defense in your hand?"

Rebecca started shaking. In her hand was indeed Stop Defense.

"I mean, if I can force Shield into its 0ATK mode, that'll even the score in a hurry, right? So let's confirm my read with the magic card, Exchange."

Trading cards in their hands was the worst thing that could happen, let alone giving him a chance to peek. Good thing she had a counter in place!

Yet before she even moved her arm, Andrews continued to speak.

"Say, your set card wouldn't happen to negate magic or trap cards, would it?" he asked.

"You can't be serious!"

Andrews shrugged. "Combine the fact that I'm a pro at reading strategies and had the benefit of fighting your deck several times, it's not unbelievable at all. In fact, I thought you might've had the card in your hand for a while, so I saved you the trouble and kept my Pegasus in attack mode."

"Aren't you nice." She discarded a Stuffed Animal. "I use Magic Jammer in order to negate Exchange."

"Excellent. With Magic Jammer gone, I can activate the magic card I just set. Didn't want you having it if you decided to let Exchange resolve."

Rebecca covered her mouth. What was more useful than Stop Defense?

"Time for my trump card: I activate Call of the Haunted."

"Call of the Haunted? I feel like I've heard of it somewhere…" Unexpected for Rebecca was seeing Andrews sneer. "I'm sorry; I'm just not too familiar with it."

"You probably heard about it because Bandit Keith was the guy credited with popularizing it. Of course HE gets the credit, it's not like he stole MY ideas or anything. Now I'm a joke for trying to ride on HIS coattails?" Andrews pounded the table. " #$% him!"

Rebecca said nothing.

"Sorry about that. I used to be some nobody when I first dueled with Keith. I managed to hold my own, but lost, of course. I guess my deck left enough of an impression that he decided to build upon it into a major archetype. I guess I wouldn't be so mad if he would have at least credited me with the inspiration."

She nodded. The only thing nobodies could do was fall into obscurity. What could be more painful than being an ignored genius who deserved better, a person who nobody takes seriously because of some stupid reason like being an unknown name or a little girl?

"Forget I said anything." Andrews gestured to Zombiemaster. "Like I said, this guy gains power from manipulating the dead. My other dead monsters also become unkillable zombies crawling back onto the field due to my magic card, so Zombiemaster can keep his ATK despite them not lying in the Graveyard."

A field swarm tactic with a bunch of invincible zombies? No wonder Keith saw merit.

"And it gets better: the zombies are impervious to normal attacks and come equipped with a 10% ATK boost. Even if you kill one of them, it comes back stacked with another 10% ATK boost, and the attack won't count against my life points. The only way you could possibly kill them is by forcing them to stand down."

Perspiring was a good word for Rebecca.

"Surely a zombie or two is no match for a duelist like you? I mean, we both run decks that like our monsters dead, I'm sure you can think of something."

Rebecca ignored him and studied the board again. With her Shield/Ring of Magnetism combo, his zombie army could do nothing, at least for the moment. They could not suicide into her cards to power themselves up thanks to her Shield's defense mode. The closest card he had was Zombie Gremlin at 2200ATK against her Shield's 2500DEF.

Rebecca drew a delightful card.

"I activate Heavy Storm."

"No." He flipped over his set card, De-Spell. "Not on my watch. I won't let you undo my hard work with one card."

She cursed him under her breath. "I switch Tomato into defense mode and pass."

Andrews drew a card and played it immediately.

"I activate Wicked Chains," said Andrews. "And I'll use it for my Zombie Gremlin, Zombie Pegasus, and Zombiemaster."

"I've never heard of Wicked Chains before…"

"If I have at least three monsters out, I can bind them together. If one of the monsters in the chains attacks or defends, that monster gets x1.5 power bonus. And if any of them get destroyed while equipped, they're all destroyed together. Well, they'll still come back thanks to my magic card, but you get the picture."

If Zombie Gremlin attacked, its attack points would rise from 2200 to 3300! Andrews continued, "One more thing I left out about Zombiemaster: each turn he can chant a spell on himself or his fellow zombies to give them the ability to Pierce. Play whatever mode you want; I'll deal LP damage either way."

Who needs Stop Defense with abilities like that?

"I'd like to attack Tomato, but your defense combo is still out," said Andrews. "I'll kill your defense combo with brute force; Zombie Gremlin attacks the Shield and I end my turn."

That one attack chopped her to 1200LP. Steeling her nerves, Rebecca drew a card: Mirror Force. It was a good draw; if his zombies attacked again, Mirror Force could counter the attack back into Zombiemaster and drop Andrews to 0LP.

"I set one card, switch Tomato into attack mode, and pass."

Andrews drew a card and contemplated his hand. Then, he lifted his head and gazed at Rebecca for several moments.

"You know, if Zombie Gremlin makes a successful attack, this game is mine, right?"

Rebecca smirked and tapped her set card. "You try whatever you want."

Andrews looked at his hand again for several moments.

"I summon Neon Knight in defense mode and switch Zombiemaster to defense mode. Then I use Zombie Gremlin to attack your Tomato."

She sighed as he sidestepped her tactic. "Your attack activates Mirror Force."

His eyes lit up. "Had I attacked carelessly, I'd have lost. But the counterattack didn't hit the non-zombies in attack mode, so my life points are safe. And guess what? Because all my monsters got hit by an attack, Call of the Haunted revives them all with another 10% strength bonus. And it gets better. Call of the Haunted can make fresh zombies, so Zombiemaster can come back to the field as a zombie."

Rebecca failed to say anything.

"And let's not forget about his new ATK! Zombiemaster can now include the newly-dead Neon Knight and himself with his attack point calculation. So first, Zombiemaster gets another 800ATK, bringing his strength up to 2500ATK, and Call of the Haunted adds an extra 10% to give him a grand total of 2750ATK. Top it all off with the ability to Pierce, and I think I'm set with an easy win ahead of me. With all this, I end my turn."

The only upshot she could find, if it was worth anything, was Andrews losing Wicked Chains since she had "destroyed" his monsters, if only for a moment.

Rebecca stared at her deck. The only possible way to overturn the situation was to draw the last card she had that could negate Call of the Haunted: her own De-Spell. Not even a gambler would accept that bet, and even then, it was not a guaranteed win.

"Hey, you got this far in one of the hardest Qualifiers," said Andrews. "For a first tournament and against someone with lots of experience fighting your particular deck, you did pretty well."

"I REFUSE to boost your winning streak. There's someone I need to fight after this." Rebecca drew her card, the only thing repeating in her mind, De-Spell.

De-Spell!

De-Spell!

Shadow Ghoul? Stupid deck!

Was defeat eminent? Wanting to keep herself alive, Rebecca looked at the board again. She rubbed her eyes upon realization that there was still a way to stall for one more turn.

"Skelengel, defense mode," said Rebecca. "Mystic Tomato attacks Zombie Pegasus."

"Huh?" Andrews leaned over the table.

"Your Pegasus originally had 1500ATK. Then it gained a 10% increase from its first revival, followed by a compounded 10% increase from its second revival, so Zombie Pegasus has 1815ATK. Due to Golgotha's Punishment, Tomato loses 500ATK during the attack and dies, costing me 415LP."

"What are you doing?"

"When Tomato dies, I also discarded my Axe of Despair. The Axe is a powerful and evil card that can sacrifice others to stay alive, so at this time I'll sacrifice Skelengel to place Axe of Despair on top of my deck. Then, once Skelengel is discarded, I draw one card. I end my turn."

"Cute maneuver, very shrewd indeed…but you're just stalling." He drew a card. "Pass."

Rebecca drew a card and paused.

"I summon Shadow Ghoul, attack mode," she said. "With four monsters in my Graveyard, it gets 400ATK. I also set one card and pass"

Andrews drew a card and scratched his chin. "With your Shadow Ghoul in attack mode and an Axe on hand, you're able to stall yet again. A last-ditch effort to draw De-Spell?"

Rebecca said nothing, but noted that he was starting to shake. She recalled Ted saying that Card Professors live and die by this game; did Andrews feel like she would kill him?

"I activate Mystical Space Typhoon I just drew. Why let this drag on when I can end this right now? Typhoon will wreck your Axe and-"

"Your read is finally off." Smirking, Rebecca flipped over her De-Spell. "You're so eager to win and move forward that you just wasted a card; my De-Spell still gets to activate and cancel your damned magic!"

Andrews grimaced as he discarded his cards, his precious zombies. "That's not 'off', that's dumb luck, a tiny mistake! I pass."

"Luck or not, you still made a mistake." Rebecca drew a card. "I pass too. Now you have to summon a monster"

He drew a card. With the grimmest expression on his face, "I'll use The Shallow Grave to revive Zombiemaster in defense mode and pass."

"I see. But since he's no longer a zombie nor in the Graveyard, its total points drop to 2100DEF. I'll revive Millennium Shield, defense mode." She drew a card. "I have three monsters in my Graveyard at this point, so the Ghoul's total attack is 1900ATK. I'll equip it with the Axe of Despair in my hand to give it 2900ATK; that way, even as I attack while Golgotha's Punishment is active, I'll still have 2400ATK. This game is my win."

"But aren't you forgetting something? My monster is in defense mode!"

"Remember when you played Exchange? You had a feeling I might have a card like…" She revealed the Stop Defense in her hand. "…This one?"

Andrews looked like someone who saw the grim reaper.

"Your 'tiny mistake' just came back to haunt you."

The moment of victory was in hand at last and she trembled, clenched her hands, and smirked. All those past defeats between the two decks, she could erase at last and avenge her grandfather!

"Shadow Ghoul attacks Zombiemaster!"

"Urgh!" After a few seconds, the horror on his face changed to a faint smile. "Well played. But see how long that optimism lasts. Perhaps you're capable of so much, but you'll soon see how his deck is limiting your potential. I still say your deck is old and behind the times. Change it! Make it powerful!"

"You're still underestimating me. I won't need to change it just to win."


	5. Devil's Cards

**CHAPTER 5**

On his monitor, Braiden watched the entire duel between Rebecca and Andrews. Braiden chuckled and shook his head. To think that some random nobody managed to defeat another top Card Professor in the region!

Well, Andrews's head would bounce into a bucket soon enough.

Braiden locked his monitor, grabbed a cigarette from his carton, and was about to walk outside when he heard a girl calling his name.

"Braiden!" shouted Tana. "Braiden!"

Not wanting this annoying girl to begin the conversation by hassling him over why smoking is bad, he hid the cigarette in his pocket and turned around.

"What can I help you with, Tana?"

"Carl told he was to fight Rebecca if she beat Andrews."

"That I did. And your point?"

"Well…Andrews lost."

"Off with his head."

"No! Don't joke like that!"

"I'm not. These card games are serious business. His dueling career, maybe even his life, is finished thanks to his failure. R-I-P, dude."

Tana threw up her arms. "Forget it. Can we talk to Rebecca and ask her to forfeit?"

"You act like she's another Card Professor I control. We're not asking anything."

"I don't want to see Carl get in trouble, and I might be able to convince Rebecca to give up under these intense circumstances. I'm pretty sure that even if Rebecca can't properly duel him here, she'll be ecstatic to have him in her debt. That way, everyone wins!"

Braiden noted a twinge of desperation in her last sentence. He chewed over the idea. Maybe he could tell Rebecca to throw the duel if she still wanted that meeting after the Qualifiers to happen, but she was the type to want a reason why, and that goes double for this particular duel. Give her the reason, then she gets suspicious-and the meeting itself had enough shadiness about it-Rebecca might find it in her best interest to just call the whole thing off.

Having seen Rebecca as capable, getting her interested in hacking I2 took top priority. Besides, there was the possibility her dumb luck would soon dry, making the problem moot.

"I don't know Rebecca enough to risk something like that, let alone risk her blabbing about secret contracts and scandals," he said. "And if I find out you're acting on your own, I'll-"

"But I-"

He gestured for her to stop. "You're…decent, but not great when compared to the other Card Professors. It's just stupid circumstances that keep blowing in her favor, and I'm convinced that at least one of the gang can just beat her with brute force. Or are you telling me you can't trust your boyfriend's strength at the critical moment?"

Braiden watched a frozen Tana stare at him. Smiling, he took out his crumpled cigarette and walked outside.

**DUEL 4**: vs. Carl

In the span of fifteen minutes, anticipation replaced the soaring feeling of victory Rebecca had as Carl took a seat across her table. At long last, a chance to shut him and his little brother up for good! A pity it took the whole tournament to get here, though.

"You ready for this?" Carl asked. He dried his palms on his sleeves. Rebecca smirked upon seeing he was nervous. "Not sure if you know or care, but you put my brother in a tough spot a while back. And now me too, since this match determines the ANDMT participants."

"Won't it be fitting if I were to screw you over here too?"

They drew their starting hands.

"Ladies first," said Rebecca. She drew a card. "Sangan, defense mode. Pass."

Carl drew a card. "Feral Imp, attack mode. I set one card and pass."

Rebecca drew a card and started comparing his weird actions to Andrews. Carl could have killed her Sangan with his Imp, but instead chose to skip his attack. Granted, the Imp was a weaker monster and Sangan dying would help her out, but was letting her keep a monster on the field a good idea?

Despite her own unease, Rebecca saw no point in wasting the opportunity. "Cannon Soldier, attack mode. It attacks the Imp."

The attack caused him 100LP damage and did not trigger his set card…or perhaps he did not want to waste it on a weak monster?

"Scared?" she asked.

"I have a demonic deck ready to drag you into Hell," said Carl. "No way am I scared."

"Then I'll kick your demons back down into Hell. I set one card and end my turn."

Carl drew a card. "Dark Zorla, attack mode. It strikes the Soldier."

Her set card was Mirror Force, but there was no point wasting it in a small skirmish. Rebecca discarded her Soldier, and both players tied at 1900LP.

"I set a card and end my turn," said Carl.

Rebecca drew Axe of Despair.

"Witch of the Black Forest, attack mode. I equip her with the Axe of Despair, and then she'll attack Zorla."

He turned over his set card. "Negate Attack."

"…Then I end my turn."

"I'm not sure how you managed to get this far with moves like that," said Carl. Rebecca aimed a kick at his shin under the table; he grunted. "Don't be a little kid. Learn to take some constructive criticism."

"Who are you calling a little kid," she muttered.

"But my point stands," he said as he drew a card. "You couldn't just set the Axe and let me run into it?"

To her shame, it occurred to Rebecca that he was right. She had played without thinking; the Axe was one of her deck's few strong cards, but he had two set cards that could cripple an offensive. Was she nervous?

"Summoned Skull, attack mode," said Carl. A surprised Rebecca leaned over to have a closer look at one of the strongest monsters in the game. "It attacks your Witch."

"That triggers my Mirror Force!" Unlike the previous turn, Mirror Force here would deal him 1000LP damage and kill a powerful monster.

"I'll counter with a set card, the Trap Master, a specialist in traps who knows how to dismantle them all. Your Mirror Force is canceled and the attack proceeds as announced."

What a bad turn: Rebecca lost her Axe and 400LP.

"Since my Witch died, I can take a monster from my deck: Morphing Jar."

"Zorla goes into defense mode. I set two cards and pass."

Rebecca drew a card.

"I set two cards and activate Tribute to the Doomed." She discarded a monster from her hand. "I'll destroy your Summoned Skull, and then pass."

"Nice rare card you have there." Carl glanced at his hand before discarding Summoned Skull. "It's supposed to be one of the rarest cards in the game."

"It's pretty handy for taking out rare and powerful monsters like your Summoned Skull."

"Hey, my brother said you might be the granddaughter of Arthur Hawkins. Is that true?"

Rebecca narrowed her eyes, recalling Evan and his friends' reaction to her answer. "Yeah. Why?"

"I'm sure you know this, but he's well-known in the world of Duel Monsters for his…research and has a large Duel Monsters card cache. Have you seen his collection?"

"No, I haven't." She made a note to ask her grandfather about that.

"I also heard there was a recent attack on his estate."

"Huh?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if they were going after those cards. Uh, this might not be my place to ask, but how's the rest of your family?"

Rebecca glared at him.

"Sorry. Well, I guess I'll just summon Illusionist Faceless Mage, defense mode. Pass."

"Before I draw, I'll flip-summon one of the set cards, Morphing Jar. We'll discard our hand and draw a new five cards." Her hand held only one monster, now in the Graveyard. Rebecca drew six cards. Carl seemed unconcerned about discarding the three cards in his hand; in fact, there was a slight smile in the corner of his mouth upon drawing his cards.

The pale feeling his smile gave Rebecca was soon drowned by her animation, for she had drawn Shadow Ghoul. Victory's rush trampled her mind.

"Shadow Ghoul, attack mode. I have 5 monsters in the Graveyard, so it gets 500ATK. Next, I'm activating Stop Defense. I target your Mage and force that card into attack mode; my Ghoul attacks."

"In that-"

"Shadow Ghoul also takes a x1.5 attack multiplier since-"

"Hey-"

"-demons trump illusionists." Carl flipped over one of his set cards.

"Shadow Spell-I'll use Shadow Spell."

"Actually," said Rebecca. She flipped over her set card. "I've got De-Spell, so I-"

"No!" Carl flipped over his other set card and sighed. "I too have De-Spell."

Rebecca leaned back, looked up at the ceiling, and sighed before her mind scolded herself. He had two set cards on the field, and she charged in with her most valuable monster. Of course there was going to be trouble! Now she was down a Stop Defense, and her Shadow Ghoul lost 700ATK.

"Wait, if you had De-Spell, why didn't you stop Tribute to the Doomed?"

"Summoned Skull is but one monster, and I've got loads of fiends to take his place. Why waste it on something like that when I can wreak more havoc in a situation like this one?"

"Dammit. I set one card and pass."

"Well," said Carl. He drew a card. "I've got another powerful fiend ready to fight. Beast of Talwar, attack mode."

"Another rare fiend!?"

"Yup. It attacks the Ghoul."

Rebecca cringed. With 2400ATK, his new fiend was only a sliver weaker than Summoned Skull; that attack cost her 1000LP, forcing her down to 500LP while he was still strong at 1900LP.

"My Mage goes back into defense mode. I end my turn."

Rebecca drew a card. "Millennium Shield, defense mode. I pass."

Carl drew a card. "You sure you got this far on your skill? You're on your last leg."

"Could you shut the hell up?"

He grinned. "Guess I need to teach you some manners. The Beast attacks Sangan."

"Hmph. With Sangan's death, I take Cannon Soldier."

"I end my turn."

Rebecca drew Ring of Magnetism. Finally! Everything was in place.

"First, I set a card. Then, I'll have Cannon Soldier in attack mode. And I'll flip over another set monster, Bubonic Vermin. It lets me summon two Vermin to the field at once." She discarded her Vermin but summoned two more from the deck.

"Did you just summon three monsters in one turn?"

"Then my Soldier attacks you directly by deducting 1000ATK for the turn and sacrificing a monster; in this case, one of my Vermin. I end my turn."

"A light blow," said Carl. He drew a card and shook his head. "I set one card. Beast of Talwar attacks Cannon Soldier."

"I'll activate my magic card, Ring of Magnetism. Your attack redirects into Millennium Shield and ricochets, costing you 100LP."

Carl looked a little more annoyed this time. "I set a card and pass."

Smug, Rebecca drew a card. Now her offensive can continue in leisure

"I set one card. I'll sacrifice my last Vermin so Cannon Soldier can attack you again. And I'll pass." Rebecca discarded her last Vermin, and Carl suffered another loss of 400LP. Their scores were becoming closer with his 1100LP!

Yet there was no sign of fatigue in Carl. Rebecca recalled the pale feeling from when the time she flip-summoned Morphing Jar.

"I'll set one card," he said, "and pass."

She drew was Dark Hole. That could destroy all monsters on the field, a worthy failsafe.

"Skelengel, defense mode. I sacrifice it for Soldier to attack you again." She drew a card for discarding Skelengel. "I end my turn. Welcome to the triple digits."

Carl now had 700LP. If her Soldier strategy could hold on a bit longer…

"Hello…" He flipped over his set card. "…And goodbye. Before I draw, since we're in my standby phase, I can activate Curse of Fiend."

"…Curse of Fiend?"

"It's a magic card that forces all monsters to switch their battle positions."

"What!?" He was going to switch her Shield into attack mode, and since she had only 500LP left while the Shield has 0ATK, his one attack wins. She flipped over her set card and discarded a Giant Soldier of Stone. "I trigger my set card, Magic Jammer."

"So that was your card, huh?" Carl shrugged, drew a card…and pumped his arm. Rebecca felt as if something was cramping her stomach. "Nice. Now I have a chance to activate Zera Ritual."

"…Zera Ritual?

"Ever heard of Zera the Mant?"

"No."

"I'm pretty sure your grandfather doesn't have these two cards in his collection. Actually, this monster is so rare, only the Blue-Eyes White Dragon cards are fewer in number."

"Where on earth did you get that card?" asked Rebecca.

He smirked. "Having connections help. Now where was I? Right, Zera Ritual requires sacrifices to summon Zera. I've got some high-quality fodder just sitting around on the field, so I tribute Zorla and my Illusionist Mage." He discarded his ritual and tributes, and then plucked a card from his hand. "Zera the Mant, attack mode. And with 2800ATK, I can take down that damn Shield."

2800ATK!?

"Oh, and you might like to know that Zera also has Pierce."

Tension heated inside her head.

"Since the difference is 300, you'll also lose 300LP. With only 200LP, another attack like that and you're finished."

This can't be happening.

"Better draw a good card." He gave Rebecca a nasty smile. "It's your turn."

"I don't need to." She drew a card. "I'll use Dark Hole to destroy Zera."

"Uh, no. I've Magic Jammer." He had a Magic Jammer too? How many rare cards does this guy get!? Carl discarded a card. "It looks like we're back to square one.

With no other cards to overturn the situation, Rebecca took a deep breath before learning what she drew. A smile crept on her face.

"I activate Graceful Charity." Regaining confidence, she exchanged her cards. "Not a perfect draw, but this is pretty good. I play Monster Reborn to revive Shadow Ghoul."

"Uh…" Carl looked at Rebecca's Graveyard. "I stopped counting when I killed Shadow Ghoul the first time."

"I have 14 monster cards in there," said Rebecca.

"Fourteen…3000ATK!? Lemme see that Graveyard."

"My Ghoul attacks Zera."

"Damn, there really are fourteen monsters. Dammit!" He discarded his Zera and lost 200LP. The fight was close: her 200LP against his 500LP.

"I end my turn."

Carl drew a card. "Too bad you didn't have another monster discarded so you could just attack Beast of Talwar and win the game, eh? Anyway, I'm setting the card I drew. Then, I'll have the Beast attacks your Soldier and I'll end my turn."

"My Ghoul gains another 100ATK."

"Sure." He glanced at his set card.

Rebecca eyed his set card, and then eyed Carl. She drew a card. "I set this and pass." No point in killing herself, right?

…Because she drew and set the perfect card.

"Well, it's not like what you'd do mattered. I can win this right now! My Beast attacks!"

The announcement jolted her mind. "But you'll just kill yourself!"

"But then! I'll trigger my set card, Reverse Trap, which reverses changes in a monster's stat. So instead of 3100ATK, your Ghoul will have 100ATK for this turn. It's no match for my monster. It's over!"

"So that's what you were going to spring on me," said Rebecca. "Nice try, though."

"Huh?"

"I set a counter trap last turn: Solemn Judgment."

"Another rare card!?"

"I pay half my life points," she smiled. "A whopping total of 100LP. And with that, I get to negate the last card played. So Reverse Trap is canceled, and your suicide proceeds as scheduled. Good game."

Carl clutched his stomach and stood up. With a gaunt look, he said, "Yeah, you too." In a hurried pace, he walked out of the arena, leaving his deck on the table.

An unconcerned Rebecca leaned back in her chair and smiled. She had made it to the next stage, to the ANDMT, and wondered what challenges would await her there.

Not to mention the way Carl handled that defeat; she loved the look on his horrified face. And if Carl was a Card Professor, no doubt he'd miss a paycheck or two! Rebecca felt like daydreaming the look on Evan's and everyone else's face when they learned she had defeated the local champ.


	6. Offer

**CHAPTER 6**

Braiden stared at his monitor. Wow, did Carl blow that one. His strongest monsters die and the best he can do is fall to pieces? Pathetic! Rebecca's victories made him want to shove the monitor onto the floor below. Maybe he could blame that on the coworker who left early.

The sound of footsteps diverted his attention, and he turned to see Carl almost run into his countertop, out of breath. Braiden made sure to wear the most disappointed face possible.

"So, what happened out there?" asked Braiden. "Today was the worst showing in the history of our guild."

"Sorry…I'm really sorry about that," replied Carl. He looked like a zombie. "Please forgive me."

Snickering, Braiden said, "My apologies, I thought I heard you asking forgiveness."

Braiden heard more footsteps, so he turned to see Tana running up to join them.

"Carl, are you okay?" she asked.

Carl covered his face with a hand. Tana hugged him before looking at Braiden.

"Well, I'm glad that YOU at least won, Tana," said Braiden. "Really, I could pull any of the other winners today and they'd be a better Card Professor than the ones I brought here."

In response to the glare Tana gave, Braiden shrugged.

"What're you going to do to Carl?"

"For starters, he's compensating our organization, and then I'll have to report this fiasco to Steve. This failure is completely unacceptable."

"The day you and Steve leave, will be the greatest day for the Card Professors."

Braiden shook his head. "Perhaps you're right. Maybe I should just quit handpicking talent. I thought I had the skill for it, but it's clear I don't."

"Hey! Accidents happen!"

"Ah, you're right; I shouldn't get discouraged because I picked a bad apple or two." He looked at Tana. "I must've been high to have accepted your application."

She walked around the countertop, standing no more than an inch in front of Braiden.

"I hate you," she said.

Braiden sighed. "Here it comes."

"When I first met you long ago, I figured you were just some cool, laid-back recruiter who liked to fiddle with computers. But then I get in and realize the guild is Hell. I've talked to so many people who think they're only there to line Steve's pockets or that the Devil must be running the show."

"Well, they deserve punishment! Want to know something? When I first met you long ago, I picked you, not for your talent, but because of your cheery demeanor. Someone who can brighten Hell is good for morale, know what I'm saying? But then you started overdoing it. Because of you, Miss Charming, I have to be more drastic to make sure our grunts stand down. Can't have some stupid internal revolution, right?"

"'Stand down'? I've heard rumors that nowadays you sanction violence or even kill people for failure. One of my ex-friends in the guild won't even talk to me anymore because she's convinced that I'm your spy!"

"Then isn't that your fault for dragging yourself into this mess?"

"How can anyone not want some sort of change?"

"Uh, the people who win and don't lose to little girls? Look at Carl here: he used to enjoy the perks for being a winner. He used to be so dependable at winning that I could force specific match-ups to get rid of any pests in a tournament. You think things get rigged over peanuts? If the guild loses because the Card Professors who promise me a win, fail, whose fault is that?"

Tana looked like she was trying to think of a retort, but she deserved to say nothing. That's how the organization, why, life itself, works. The winners get their deserved compensation and the losers rot in the trash. What was so hard about this simple concept for that girl to understand?

In the end, Tana glanced at Carl before focusing her attention on Braiden. "Nobody's perfect! When someone has a bad run, we all need to get him back on his feet. But you! You're worse than Steve!"

"Because I did nothing but accept money everyone kept depositing into my account?"

"That wasn't your account; that was the account for everyone!" Tana's face was red. "You were supposed to let anyone participating in the insurance pool withdraw money if they failed a contract!"

"Come to think of it, Carl was a major depositor. I think he could've saved himself this trouble and then some if he kept the cash for himself instead of pitching in for your welfare crusade. No doubt he's regretting it. Oh well! Maybe you'll choose who you trust more carefully in the future."

She glared.

Said Carl, "That's not true!"

"Whatever. I'll be nice; that little girl confounds the lot of you. It'll be embarrassing, but I guess I'll just ask you all to throw your matches against Rebecca during the ANDMT. At least you won't lose your heads then, right?"

"Wait! What if I alone was to form a contract? If Rebecca fails to defeat me, we can undo the contracts for the members who lost today! You can bet enough to make a profit and cover today's losses. That can work, right?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"Then it's settled!"

Carl interrupted, "Hey, wait, I know you're concerned, but that idea is…"

"He's right. Tana, you're seriously going to stick your neck out like that? Not that I won't be happy to see you fail miserably, but-" his hands held a ball of air. "-I'm not sure you grasp how big the necessary penalties are in case you lose."

"It doesn't matter." Tana glanced at Carl. "There's no problem if I win. Huh?"

She heard footsteps, so Tana turned-and her body locked up upon seeing the imposing figure. A monster with hands big enough to crush her head! He had a buff body covered by a muscle shirt and black pants, all under a high-collared trench coat that fell to the ankle. His face's features were a large chin, thin lips, dark skin, and a brow that almost covering his eyes. On his head, a tight dark bowl cap that covered his messy black hair.

In summary, the person little kids hope to never find under a bed. And that included Carl, if the color on his face was anything to go by.

"Ah, you're here, PaniK," said Braiden. "Normally I'd ask you to dispose of the trash from today, but this time there's a special occasion that I'd like you to save them for instead."

Tana stuttered, "O-occasion?"

"If you and your friends are going to die, I want them for a certain show." Braiden smiled. "Some trash you can recycle and reuse."

* * *

A week had passed since the Qualifiers, yet it was almost time for the trip to New York and the subsequent main event. It was the only thing on Rebecca's mind-besides the meeting with Braiden. She entered his store.

"Good to see you!" said Braiden. He waved at her. "I've been expecting you."

"Small place you have here," she said. Looking around, the shop was no bigger than a bedroom, but there were shelves for the computers and a countertop for the register.

Braiden walked over to the windows, closed the curtains and locked the door. "This is gonna be one of those 'closed door' conversations. It should be self-explanatory that I don't want interruptions and eavesdroppers."

"So what's going on?"

Braiden sat on the countertop. "Basically, what I'm interested in is making a deal. Before that, I needed to see whether you were really the pro hacker I kept hearing about."

"And what made you think I'm a pro hacker? I don't remember my name going public."

"There was an incident a while ago where they said some juvenile hacked into Paradius. Information eventually passed to me that you were behind that."

Rebecca froze.

"Truth be told, I'm close to the center for a lot of stuff. Actually, one of my sources recently got in contact for me when I posted, err, a want-ad of sorts, and your name came up as someone who might be interested in helping."

"So you're involved with the underworld."

"Aren't you blunt."

"And you think living in the middle of nowhere is great for networking?"

He paused. "It's great for keeping a low profile. So anyway, that deal I mentioned-"

"Hold up a second. How do I know this is legit? The word 'underworld' doesn't exactly bring to mind a bright rainbow."

"Good question. I have direct access to the culprit's office, actually. If I were to infect his computer, I'm sure you could go through his stuff and verify that he was responsible. Really, it'd be bad for business if word spread that I don't keep up my end of a deal. Especially if they realize I was lame enough to screw over a little girl."

Rebecca sighed, but nodded despite her doubts. "So what am I supposed to do?"

"Nothing you can't handle: corporate hacking. If you can crack Paradius, you can do I2."

She blinked. "You mean THE Industrial Illusions?"

"Don't worry, I have it all planned out. I'll get you through security without hassle and put you on a computer." Braiden shrugged. "I must say, I'm a bit surprised though."

"Huh?"

"I figured you jumped at the chance to take down your family's killer, but you're a bit more hesitant than I thought."

"I'm just weighing my options." Folding her arms, Rebecca's gut feeling said this deal was all kinds of shady. However, the feeling that she could right the wrong perpetrated by the fool who thought he was above her family, and her reasoning that harm was unlikely to befall her, said to take a chance. In the end, she said, "I'll do it."

"Great!" He stretched out his arm. "I'm excited to do business with you."

With a dull expression, she shook his hand.

"Oh, and by the way," he said. "I want to wish you lots of luck in the ANDMT."

"Why? Are you betting a huge sum of money on me or something?"

"I just want to wish the new local champ some goodwill!" Braiden chuckled as he walked over to unlock the exit. "I'll send for you again once the tournament is over; we'll review what you'll do, and then set a time and date."

"Thanks," Rebecca muttered.


	7. Fight in the Forest

**CHAPTER 7**

Rebecca woke up early that morning in New York. So many things were going to happen today, and her heart beat fast before she even left the hotel. The matches were to start at 9AM and instead of the thousands or so competing like at the Qualifiers, 32 players competed to be the American Champion. On top of that, the whole nation was watching their finest duelists. Smiling as she got dressed for the cold weather, Rebecca wondered if there might be someone who remembers the new girl who managed to defeat several pros.

When her grandfather was ready, they made their way over to the stadium, arriving at the gate designated for today's duelists.

"Good luck," said her grandfather. "I'll be looking for you."

"Thanks," replied Rebecca.

He nodded, and then joined the huge crowd of spectators making their way inside.

Those countless people were intimidating, but her mind returned to the task at hand, the check-in table manned by one official. A couple people were waiting, but none who she knew.

A man with his hands in his pockets cut in front of her. Blond, he wore a red short-sleeve shirt, American bandana, light-beige jeans, and had the odor of a heavy smoker.

"I'm sorry," said Rebecca. "But I was next."

The man turned around and Rebecca recognized him as "Bandit" Keith Howard. A sneer spawned on his shaven face.

"A pipsqueak like you?" he replied. Rebecca considered a kick to his shin. "You must be that little pre-teen #$%# who lucked out in her Qualifiers and toppled a bunch of pros."

Sure, she had been hoping for some recognition. However, to hear it come from Keith like that served to raise her anger.

"Let me tell you, it was a real laugh when I heard some kid pulled that miracle draw against Ted and-"

Rebecca aimed a kick at his shins, but Keith smiled and sidestepped with the result that her kick hit someone else.

"Gah!" The person she kicked turned around. "What the heck was that for!?"

"Oh! Sorry, I'm sorry," said Rebecca. She pointed to Keith. "I was aiming for him."

"Oh!" said the person. He smiled and muttered, "Yeah, he needs a stomping."

"You guys!" shouted the official. "This isn't a damn biker bar. Knock it off."

Rebecca pointed again at Keith, and the official muttered something under his breath.

Keith chuckled. "Kid, stop tattling and mature a little. You don't need to kick people to wait behind me."

"Ugh." She said nothing else. Keith's turn was a minute later.

"Alright, Mr. Howard," said the official. "Sorry about the ban on some of your cards, but you used them rather unexpectedly. Again."

"Seems to happen all the time," said Keith. "Got my new deck list, right? Because I'm not changing cards during the middle of a #$%# tourney again."

"No worries, no worries, Mr. Howard. Well, I got you checked in. How do you think you'll do against Pegasus?"

"That guy? I can't wait to see the look on his loser face when I win."

"Righty, then. Best of luck to you." The official handed Keith a tablet like the one back at the Qualifiers. Keith took it and left as Rebecca stepped forward.

"Based on the row you guys had back there, you're Rebecca Hawkins from California?"

"Yeah."

The official scratched her name off a list and handed her a tablet. "Then you're good to go," he said.

"Thanks." She turned to the dome and noticed Keith walking inside alone. Seeing a couple guards, Rebecca deduced the entryway was reserved for duelists.

"Hey," whispered the official, pointing a thumb at Keith. "If you play that guy, do us all a favor and beat him good."

Rebecca grinned before following Keith's path inside.

Inside were stairs to the left leading up and stairs to the right. There was a sign pointing to the right for a waiting room, so waiting it was. Walking through a dull concrete hallway, she entered a large, plush room with wooden walls, a couple tables and couches, and several recliners scattered throughout. A dozen or so people were talking, dueling or watching the news on a television.

Looking around, Rebecca noticed some players crowding around Keith, who was willing to play anyone who had "the balls to bet." Continuing to look around, she found Ms. Kuto; the same Ms. Kuto whose house Rebecca had taken refuge.

There was one thing different, however: Ms. Kuto was in a wheelchair. Rebecca also recalled having knocked the old lady into the ground. Was the wheelchair the result of…

"Um, hey, Ms. Kuto." said Rebecca. Ms. Kuto turned her head to Rebecca, the latter trying hard to ignore the wheelchair. "I didn't know you were played Duel Monsters at a competitive level."

Ms. Kuto smiled. "I'm actually the oldest Card Professor in the guild, to be honest."

She was a Card Professor? "I don't recall seeing you at my Qualifiers, though."

"I just attended a different region for technical reasons." That sounded strange to Rebecca, but she made no comment as Ms. Kuto pointed to the television in the corner. "You see that screen?"

"Huh?" Rebecca tried to look at the screen, but the image was a blur. "Can't quite see it from here, but what's on there?"

"You can't see it? Might want some glasses. Anyway, they're panning around the stadium, looks like it's going to be a sellout. I even hear Seto Kaiba's coming in from Japan to watch this time. Can't forget about that Keith vs. Pegasus match, either."

"It's definitely going to be intense," said Rebecca.

Ms. Kuto suddenly grimaced and Rebecca panicked.

"Are you OK?" asked Rebecca.

"I'm fine," said Ms. Kuto. A few more moments and she took a few deep breaths.

"I'm really, really, sorry," said Rebecca. She covered her mouth. "It's just that-"

"What're you talking about, that little shove from before? My grandkids have done much worse. Actually, this was an accident."

"Huh?"

"A certain accident caused me to fall down the stairs a few days ago. The doctor figured I was bound to be in a wheelchair sooner or later. He was even running a betting pool."

"Oh, uh, wow. I'm sorry to hear that."

"Don't worry about it. I don't need to walk in order to duel."

Rebecca grinned. "Just because you're in a wheelchair doesn't mean I'd go easy on you."

"But don't forget that we're at the ANDMT. If you ever struggled before in your previous duels, it's going to show here."

"Ha!"

Tana's voice chimed in. "But it's true!" Rebecca turned to see her walking towards them, a tablet tucked under her arm.

"Hey, Tana," said Rebecca.

"Rebecca! Are you ready? And, uh, how are you doing, Aunt Maico?"

Aunt Maico?

Ms. Kuto smiled. "I'm fine."

"Your grandkids are really sorry. And I am, too. I didn't realize you were at the stairs, or I'd have told them to be careful."

"Accidents happen. Besides…" Ms. Kuto tilted her head to Rebecca. "You should be concentrating on the tournament and your opponents."

They continued their conversation until their tablets started beeping.

The first round! Rebecca looked at her tablet. Opponent?

Maico Kuto. Rebecca looked at the old woman.

"Looks like we're first," said Rebecca. "Don't die of old age before we fight."

Ms. Kuto smiled. "I'll make you eat those words."

"I guess I should wish you both luck," said Tana. She turned to Rebecca. "You ready?"

"I am," said Rebecca. "But you seem a bit nervous."

"Uh…" Tana took in a deep breath. "It's a gauntlet for me today. But I'll be fine."

They each made their way into the huge stage. Several table isles were everywhere, and the stage was encircled with multiple tiers of tens of thousands of noisy spectators. Spectators who Rebecca hoped would soon see how great she was!

After wishing each other a final good luck, Tana left for her table while Maico and Rebecca took their own seats. It was a decent small folding table with a felt surface.

A hand slapped Rebecca's shoulder.

"Hey, you little #$%#, don't lose to that old hag!" said Keith. "At least, not before I finish my duel! I want a front-row seat to see you put on a show of dying."

Ms. Kuto shook her head as Keith laughed and continued to the table next to them. "Rebecca, you have a lot to learn if you want to be ruder than him."

Rebecca rolled her eyes and smiled as they took out their decks and shuffled.

"Time to see how prepared you really are," said Ms. Kuto. Her expression changed to resolute determination, as if a soldier preparing to land in hostile territory;

"Same to you."

A voice quavered nearby.

"Oh man, I gotta fight Keith in my first round with everyone watching?"

Rebecca turned to see the man she kicked earlier by accident sitting across Keith.

"Are you going to just let that bastard own the place?" Rebecca asked.

"No, of course not!" Then the man stood up and clutched his stomach. "But my stomach suddenly seems to be giving me trouble!"

Keith enjoyed a hearty laugh as the man sped away.

"What the hell?" she asked.

Keith grinned and shook his head. "That #$%# loser did the right thing. If you're going to lose, why embarrass yourself in front of all these people? For most people, running away is LESS humiliating than actually dueling me in front of everyone."

"You damn jerk."

**DUEL 5**: vs. Maico

After the ceremonies and introductions, the duelists received permission to begin.

"You can go first," said Ms. Kuto.

As they drew their cards, Rebecca noticed an official talking to Keith and marking something on a clipboard. Then he left and Keith started walking around the tables.

She shook her head. "Sangan, defense mode. I pass." The noise from the crowd began to fade in her mind as Rebecca concentrated on her opponent.

Ms. Kuto drew a card.

"Trent, defense mode. I also pass."

Rebecca drew a card. There seemed to be no harm in attacking and taking the initiative.

"Cannon Soldier, attack mode. Using its ability, I sacrifice Sangan and deduct 1000ATK this turn to attack directly. I'm taking another Sangan. Then I set one card and end my turn."

Ms. Kuto drew a card. "Ancient One of the Deep Forest, attack mode," said Maico. "I'll combine it with the Field Magic of his home turf: Deep Forest."

"Deep Forest?"

"Deep Forest normally protects only weak forest monsters, but the Ancient One makes it protect ANY forest monster on my side of the field. With that said, the Ancient One attacks the Soldier." Their scores were now even at 1600LP. "I set a card and end my turn."

Rebecca drew a card: Heavy Storm. She could destroy Deep Forest, but had nothing with which to follow through.

"Sangan, defense mode. I pass"

Ms. Kuto drew a card. "I'm not going to get very far just attacking that Sangan, am I?"

Rebecca shrugged.

"Oh well. I drew the Rainbow Plant. It's going in attack mode and just like that Cannon Soldier, it'll attack directly. And that's it, I end my turn."

Rebecca lost 450LP, now down to 1150LP. She drew a card. "It's like goddamn kudzu; I better remove it. So first, I'll use Heavy Storm to tear down your Forest."

Ms. Kuto flipped over her set card, De-Spell. "What did you think this was going to be?"

Rebecca sighed. Of course Ms. Kuto would protect such a valuable card. "I pass."

Ms. Kuto drew a card. "This time, it'll be Milus Radiant, defense mode. This pup can power up earth monsters like my Plant so it can make a powerful direct attack."

This was worse than scaling a wall covered in poison ivy. A direct 950ATK threatened nearly half of with what players started a duel. If the attack worked that left Rebecca at 200LP.

Rebecca flipped over her set card. "I'll defend with Mirror Force."

"I thought you might have something like that. But Deep Forest protects my monsters even from a rebound attack. Since I'm done attacking, I'll end my turn."

Rebecca drew a useless Giant Soldier of Stone. She sighed. "I pass."

Ms. Kuto drew a card, surveyed Rebecca's lack of defenses, and the edge of her mouth curved into a smile. "Rainbow Plant makes a direct attack. I end my turn."

A direct attack that put Rebecca at 200LP and in a hopeless situation: Ms. Kuto and her 1600LP with the ultimate protection of Deep Forest and a devastating attacker in that Plant; playing on the other side was a mere Sangan.

Rebecca hesitated to draw. Her kingdom for a De-Spell, her last resort to cut that Forest!

"This bitch-on-wheels grannie is pretty good," said Keith. Rebecca turned to see Keith lording over her and smirking. "Not sure what the score is, but seeing what's on the table, it looks like that ain't gonna matter. #$%#, even a duel with that godforsaken coward would've been more interesting. Guess what they say is true, you only got this far because of luck."

The worst part was that Rebecca had to admit in her mind was that Keith was right. She might as well have been mulch. As he moved to another table, Rebecca looked away to the floor.

"Rebecca?" said Ms. Kuto. A despondent Rebecca looked up to see Ms. Kuto's stern face. "This isn't the face of the arrogant girl my niece talked about."

Rebecca said nothing.

"And I didn't take you to be a girl who gives up, especially when some jerk like says your opponent is out of your league."

Taking a deep breath, Rebecca drew a card, trying to will it to be the one she needed.

It was not De-Spell, and the immediate reaction on her face was despair.

"Cannon Soldier, attack mode. I'll attack directly again," said Rebecca. She discarded her Sangan and took the last Sangan from her deck. Ms. Kuto was down to 1200LP. "I set two cards and end my turn."

Ms. Kuto appeared amused from Rebecca's new set cards. "Is this all you can do?"

"Shut up! I didn't make the draw I initially wanted, but I still found a way out!"

"You seem pretty determined again. Then my Plant makes a direct attack."

"Before you attack, I flip-summon the Bubonic Vermin I had face-down, meaning I can summon two Vermin from my deck in defense mode."

"But that doesn't change anything.

"And after you attack, I activate Ring of Magnetism."

Ms. Kuto's eyes widened.

"I equip the Ring of Magnetism to one of those Vermin. You know what they say: the enemy's strength is also their greatest weakness."

Ms. Kuto smiled. "Now I'm impressed. So one of your Vermin now has only 100DEF and my Plant's attack redirects into it. But thanks to my own Deep Forest, the attack misses. That's very clever of you. I'll end my turn here, but we'll see if I can't do something about it on one of my next turns."

Rebecca drew a card, became elated, and set it. "I set one card and attack directly with my Soldier. This time, the fuel will be the spare Vermin. I end my turn."

Ms. Kuto now had 800LP.

Drawing a card, Ms. Kuto shook her head. "Dark Grey, defense mode. I pass."

Rebecca grinned upon realizing that Ms. Kuto had no way to stop the new momentum.

"I'll summon my last Sangan and sacrifice it to attack directly!" Just one more attack! She took a Witch of the Black Forest from her deck. "I end my turn."

Ms. Kuto had dropped to 800LP! Just one more turn of the same!

"How did it go again?" said Rebecca. "'Is this all you can do?'"

When Ms. Kuto drew a card, she smiled. "How about I 'found a way out?'"

"Huh?"

"I activate Giant Trunade. It's just like the Heavy Storm you tried to play, except the cards go back to our hands. So without a Ring of Magnetism, I attack directly and win."

Rebecca smirked. "Sorry, but that's not happening. I activate De-Spell."

Ms. Kuto frowned, but then she chuckled.

"It's just strange to see someone protecting the opponent's cards. Well, I can't do anything but pass."

Rebecca skipped her draw and beamed. "Witch in defense mode. I'll sacrifice it so my Soldier can attack directly; I win!" She clenched one of her hands and grinned.

"Good game," said Ms. Kuto. She and Rebecca shook hands. "That was a very nice comeback."

"Thanks!" Rebecca scratched her head. "You're really good."

"I guess there's nothing left to do but wish you well." Ms. Kuto sighed. "I'm sorry; I'm just a little disappointed to lose so early. But I'm looking forward to seeing how you fare throughout the rest of the tournament."


	8. Dilemma

**CHAPTER 8**

Tana frowned after seeing her aunt finish the game in defeat. She tried her best to help, but Rebecca must have been too much. Despite that, Tana was grateful for her aunt's help.

"Guess we should end this," she told her opponent. "No point in continuing to play."

He nodded and tapped his set card. "This card won't be a problem. Pass."

"I attack, which should zero out your life points." Tana leaned forward and whispered, "I'm grateful for your help. Thank you."

He sighed. "I guess you're gonna fight that fiery youth?"

"Please wish me luck."

"A few other guys and I are staying to go sightseeing tomorrow. We're meeting at Times Square. I really hope to see you and Carl there. "

She smiled. Seeing other Card Professors opposing Braiden, the camaraderie welled inside her. "I promise. We'll definitely be there."

They departed the table and Tana caught up with Rebecca.

"Hey!" said Tana. She put on her most cheery expression. "I overheard you won?"

"Yeah! Your aunt was surprisingly strong but I won in the end as expected. But I sort of had to struggle."

"You don't say." Tana swallowed. "Rebecca, would you accompany to the lounge? Both our games finished; there's not much else to do here. And there's something I want to discuss."

"Uh, okay."

Rebecca kept questioning Tana, but she remained quiet all the way to the lounge. Why was a loquacious person like Tana not talking? Perhaps something good was about to happen?

Nobody was in the waiting room except for Keith, who was reclining in a chair with his hands forming a makeshift headrest. His legs were propped up on a table. His eyes were covered by sunglasses, but Rebecca had the impression that he was asleep. Tana gestured to an island table in the corner.

"I'm guessing you want to be alone for once?" asked Rebecca. They took their seats.

"Please keep your voice down," replied Tana. She glanced at Keith. "This is of utmost importance, and I don't want to be overheard."

"Sounds interesting. Let's hear it."

"I want to ask you for a big favor." Tana took a deep breath. "I want you to throw the next match."

"What?"

"Y'know, let me win, and all that."

Rebecca stood up to leave.

"Wait, don't get up! Please just hear me out!"

Rebecca grumbled "Fine."

"To understand why I'm asking you, you need to understand the situation that's been going on. You know that I and several others are Card Professors?"

"Of course I do. And I guess you guys didn't see a big paycheck during the Qualifiers. So what does that have to do with me throwing a match?"

"You knocked out some key participants…not to mention, the ANDMT isn't the only place the guild runs bets. You did a good job messing those up at the Qualifiers."

"I guess I did."

"Ted, Andrews, and Carl, along with me, were supposed to qualify to fulfill certain bets for there and in preparation for the bets of the ANDMT, here. The pairings were systematically rigged throughout the Qualifiers so that the players 'get to where they need to be' and that we don't accidentally fight each other."

"But your guys failed, and I presume the guild made its members liable."

"Yeah, that's the gist of it. Because our guys can't make it here to fight the matches the guild already bet on in advance, they're forced to compensate."

"Then why are you asking me to throw this match? Hasn't the guy in charge figured that I'll just beat you and bet on that?"

Tana sighed. "There's a limit to how much the, um, guy who takes the guild's bets-"

"You mean a bookie?"

"Yeah, that. He only accepts so much per bet, because-"

"So what you're saying is, in a match between you and me, everyone wants to bet on me. There's no bet going on because nobody wants to bet on you."

Tana winced. "That sounds so harsh when you put it that way."

"But if there's someone who wants to bet on you, everyone who wants to bet on me will be happy to open their wallets."

"Yeah, you're pretty sharp."

"It's only the most basic thing about a bet."

"Err, anyway, there's also something that drives the stakes up on our particular match-up; you're a newcomer and thus unaffiliated, especially not with the Card Professors, which means bettors don't have to predict whether the result of the match was set up in advance. They can bet on a fair contest…or so they think."

"So what, your guild bet a huge sum dependent on you converting me to your side?"

"And I'm liable for the whole thing if it goes badly. Of course, I probably suck at this game compared to you, so it's more like I'm betting I'll convince you to forfeit."

"Whose idea was this, anyway? It sounds half-baked."

"It's my half-baked idea. That's why I said I'm liable for the whole thing if I mess up."

Rebecca's mouth dropped. "Are you seriously that greedy? In that case-"

"NO!" shouted Tana. "I need to save Carl and the others! All I want to do is pay off the debts they incurred. I'll even give you the rest as a thank-you!"

"Fine, let's just ignore these dollars for a moment. Answer me this: why are you sticking your neck out when you could just shrug it off as SEP?"

"SEP?"

"Someone else's problem. Because their problems weren't yours, and neither theirs nor yours are mine."

Tana stood up and slammed the table. "You can't possibly be this insensitive!"

"Except I am, because you didn't have the common sense to consult with me beforehand." Rebecca stood up and pushed in her chair.

Before she could leave the table, Tana grabbed Rebecca's wrist.

"I had no choice!" cried Tana. "Contracts and bets are locked in well advanced of these tournaments. It was a hassle to advertise the new bet between you and the Card Professors as the window of opportunity was so small!"

"And why should I care?"

"Lives are on the line! You ever hear of what happens to people in the movies who can't pay off their debt? It's just like that! It's hard enough being a Card Professor without worrying about absurd penalties!"

"Then why did you become one?"

"I was naïve, decent enough at Duel Monsters, and needed money to support my aunt's medical bills. I can't even quit because I'm under contract for some time to come. If I had known the guild was Hell itself, I'd never have-"

"So you heard everyone else's sob stories and decided to worry about them?"

"Everyone needs all the help they can get in a place like this guild!"

Rebecca shook her head.

"Carl and Evan would be in your debt. Wasn't that your motivation in the first place?"

"But I already got my payback at the Qualifiers." However, Rebecca shrugged and sighed. "Fine. Maybe this isn't the smartest thing to do, but I'll assist you. I'll do it."

The expression on Tana brightened as she got up and hugged Rebecca, producing a warm, fuzzy feeling. Perhaps Tana was addicted to these; it would explain why she would make such dumb decisions.

"Thank you so much! I'm-I really appreciate it!" Tana continued after loosening her grip and standing up. "You look like the kind of person who knows how to put on an act-"

Rebecca puffed her cheeks.

Tana chuckled. "Okay, okay, sorry. I'll leave the flow of our game to your judgment."

"Sure."

"I'll see you soon!" With those parting words, Tana left.

Rebecca was about to follow suit until she heard Keith's laughter.

"What a real #$%#," said Keith. "Damn, I thought brunettes were supposed to be smart and blondes were supposed to be dumb."

"Hey you, why don't you just shut the hell up?"

"You first, little #$%#."

Rebecca growled.

Keith shrugged. "Hey, hey, I'm not the one stringing along a friend."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about you."

"Huh?"

"I didn't start listening until after the shouting and table-slamming, but it sounded like Tana was asking you to throw the match. Not even I would ever sink that low!"

More like he could just win by force. "Get to the point. You heard me agree to her plan, didn't you?"

"There's no way you're actually planning on following that, right? I mean, if I were to see #$%# amateur play out there, I might get suspicious and comment that you're throwing matches, see? It'd be a shame for someone young like you to end up in a public scandal. It might even discredit your past wins."

"Why not mind your own business?" But his words chilled her body

"Have you even looked at the damn bracket yet?"

"Huh?"

"It's not like the Qualifiers where things are in 'pools' or whatever the #$%# they call it so the guys on top can rig everything."

In the time Keith spoke those sentences, Rebecca had checked the bracket on her tablet, and her eyes widened.

"Wha…?"

"That's right. We're gonna tumble once you backstab that #$%#. I wanna pop the arrogant girl who though she could beat a slew of other pros, not a piece of #$%# like Tana."

Before she could respond, Rebecca noticed that several people were coming in, so she turned to leave. "I hope the next person you fight stomps your face."

Keith chuckled. "You know the score: win or your name becomes #$%# in the grass."

Another horrid shiver, colder than even the weather outside, clamped Rebecca.

**DUEL 6**: vs. Tana

"Rebecca, are you okay?" asked Tana. "I'm going first, but you might as well draw."

Rebecca stared at her own deck and did not respond.

"Don't think, just go with the flow!"

Of course Tana would something like that. Rebecca smiled and drew her cards.

"Good 'luck', Rebecca."

"You too."

"Kurama, attack mode." Tana's first card was a weak bird? "That's all."

Rebecca drew a card. "Witch of the Black Forest, attack mode. She attacks Kurama. Then I set one card and end my turn." The attack cost Tana 300LP.

Tana drew a card. "Faith Bird, attack mode. Then I'll play Rising Air Current, strengthening my birds by 500ATK."

"Can't have that." Rebecca discarded a card and flipped over Magic Jammer.

"Oh well," said Tana. She smiled. "Then…my Bird attacks the Witch. That should cost you 400LP."

"On Sangan's death, it retrieves another monster from my deck. I want another Sangan."

"Huh. I set one card face down. Your turn!"

Rebecca drew a card. "Millennium Shield, defense mode. I pass."

Tana drew a card and activated a different one.

"Uh…I'll skip summoning a monster this turn to activate Nobleman of Crossout."

The card elicited a wince from Rebecca.

"Well, I guess I'll Banish the Shield from play and pass."

Rebecca placed the Shield beside the Graveyard, and then drew a card. "Skelengel, defense mode. I pass."

Tana drew a card. "Blue Winged Crown, attack mode. And Blue Winged Crown attacks Skelengel. That's all for now."

Rebecca discarded Skelengel and drew a card from its effect, and then drew another card to start her turn. The draw was almost poetic.

"I activate Painful Choice," said Rebecca.

Tana flipped over her set card. "I counter with De-Spell."

"I guess I'll just summon Sangan, defense mode, and pass."

Tana drew a card and grinned.

"I'll activate Stop Defense and target Sangan." Tana proceeded to play two more cards from her hand. "Peacock, attack mode, and I equip my bird with the Gust Fan for an ATK boost. Peacock attacks Sangan!

Against a 2000ATK attack, Rebecca had to deduct 1100LP. More than half her starting life points gone in a single attack!

Tana winked at Rebecca. "Who knows? Perhaps 'it' won't even be an issue."

"Wrong!" …is what Rebecca wanted to shout. Her fear of deciding whether to throw the match turned into anger. To have a genuine loss against this amateur!

Keith's words echoed in her mind. Did she really want to lose? Her breathing increased.

Calm down. "With the death of Sangan, I want to take another Sangan from my deck."

"Cool. I'll end my turn."

Rebecca drew a card. "Sangan, defense mode. I pass."

"You're like a broken record!"

"Deal with it."

Tana grinned, rolled her eyes, and then drew a card.

"Peacock attacks Sangan. But you can't possibly have another Sangan, right?"

"This time, I'll take Cannon Soldier."

Tana shrugged and smiled. "You know, at first I thought there was a strong chance we'd end up fighting. I didn't fully trust that you'd go along with it. But I mean, at this point, it feels like our duel became a fun casual game."

"I know, don't worry about it." Rebecca smiled. "But, I still want to win on my terms. I'm that kind of person, you know?"

"Yeah, that's fine. But I want to do my best too. And this is my kind of match, too; like nothing bad happens regardless of the outcome, but with all the intensity. I wish more of my duels were like this. Your turn!"

Rebecca drew a card and set it, her hand and face hot as she did so. "Cannon Soldier, defense mode. I pass."

"I'm doing pretty well today, getting all these birds out. Anyway, I'll use Peacock to attack your Soldier."

Rebecca's hand shook as she flipped over her set card. "That triggers Mirror Force."

* * *

Tana started to sweat, everything becoming distant and blurry. Only moments ago, the atmosphere was like a pleasant walk through nature. Now there was no trace of amiability on Rebecca's face. Instead, there was a cold, brutal expression.

She had seen that look before, and her mind did not hesitate to flash images of Braiden and some Card Professors whose faces indicated that they were willing to do what must be done. There, Rebecca would make a great fit.

Mirror Force reflected on all of Tana's monsters with Peacock's attack, so the combined difference totaled to 900LP damage down to 800LP, leaving her just above with Rebecca at 500LP. Not to mention the Cannon Soldier that can get an easy direct hit with a 400ATK, Rebecca would have little trouble winning if Tana did nothing. If Rebecca really wanted to forfeit, she would have taken something other than Cannon Soldier so Tana could still have time to make a comeback.

This duel was for real.

"R-Rebecca, I know you're pretty competitive, but this seems a bit…much?"

"Are you finished yet?"

Whoa! That tone!

"Wait a minute!" Tana bowed her head and whispered, "Okay, I get it, you'd have won, I admit it. Please don't scare me like this. I'll end my turn and entrust my fate to you…Rebecca?"

Rebecca drew a card and smiled. "It's no problem."

Tana regained her composure. Perhaps she herself had overlooked the situation. Perhaps Rebecca did not HAVE a monster to summon for that Soldier to sacrifice, meaning there was time to recover the offensive. Yeah, that has to be it!

"I'll summon Witch of the Black Forest."

Huh?

The smile faded from Rebecca's face. "I also switch my Soldier back into attack mode."

A victim can only do so much before a gun at point blank range. Such was Tana.

"It attacks directly to deal you 400LP damage. I sacrifice Witch of the Black Forest. And because Witch of the Black Forest is discarded, through that effect I can take another monster."

Watching Rebecca take another Cannon Soldier from the deck, Tana said nothing.

"Finally, I set one card and end my turn."

Tana's hands shook. Nothing there could overturn the situation. She stared at her deck.

"Well?" said Rebecca. "Are you going to draw or not?"

Shaking her head, Tana could only ask, "Why?"

"Huh?"

Tana's voice was just above a whisper. "I thought…I thought you were going to save me? This duel…I really trusted you with my life. I wasn't lying back there…"

"AAARRRGGGHHH!" shouted a duelist from across the arena. Tana and Rebecca turned to see him collapse onto the table. In fact, he pounded the table and broke into sobs.

The thousands of members in the audience were shouting and cheering while his opponent, Keith, stood up, smirked, and left. He passed by their table, glanced at the field, and grinned like a villain. Tana noticed that Rebecca was watching him until he exited the stage.

"I wised up and my priorities changed," said Rebecca. "It's nothing personal. But when you think about it, this mess is ultimately your fault."

"Stop it already!"

"When the chips are down, only a fool would sacrifice herself to save someone else. Even the world of Duel Monsters, when the stakes go up, the camaraderie goes out."

Tana's voice weakened. "That's such a cruel thing to say…there are lives on the line, yet your pride is more important?"

"Your own interests have to come first! Isn't your entire guild based on the concept of winning? It's amazing a ditz like you has managed to survive as a Card Professor."

An angry Tana shook her head. "You're a horrible person! If one person fell into a ditch, would you just abandon him?"

The young girl looked at the floor. "Don't impose your values on me."

"'Someone else's problem', isn't it? Does winning this duel mean that much to you?"

Rebecca glared at Tana with such force that Tana's anger turned into shock. "I will not have my name made a target of derision and mockery. Draw a card and die!"

Against this hostility, Tana tried to steel her own will as she peeled the top card of her deck. "Right makes might," she told her deck. Draw!

Yes! "Punished Eagle, attack mode!"

The advent of a strong monster surprised even Rebecca.

Tana brightened. "I mustn't lose! My Eagle makes an attack on your Soldier, and the difference will zero out your life points."

"You're forgetting something."

"Huh?"

Rebecca lifted her set card upright. "This world isn't a fantasy." She let fall forward the card, the death sentence, the Monster Reborn.

"I…I-"

"My Witch intercepts your attack with defense mode." While Rebecca took Mystic Tomato from her deck, she said, "It seems you're not doing anything, so I assume you're ending your turn."

This world was a nightmare.

Rebecca never bothered to draw a card, instead letting the Tomato fall from her hand onto the table. "My Soldier finishes you off with a final direct attack."

Someone tapped Tana's shoulder. She turned and gasped to see PaniK

"Time to settle your debts," he said.


	9. Oiled Keith Machine

**CHAPTER 9**

It was best to forget about Tana, Rebecca told herself. The warm and fuzzies inside her had since given way to cold clouds of guilt. To try and feel better, Rebecca tried reminding herself that what she did was rational, but the clouds had a tendency to linger.

And who was that big dark creep was behind Tana, Death? He had enough menace in his appearance.

Rebecca sighed. Death was not her problem, but Tana's.

A couple boys about her age were standing outside the waiting room arguing about something. Curious as to what they were talking about, she stood behind the corner of the hallway and tuned in.

"I'm not sure this is a good idea, Sam," said the first boy. With dark reddish-brown hair, he wore a dark green suit. His freckled face was at great unease.

Sam had fewer freckles; he had curtained blond hair, wearing an orange shirt trimmed with light blue, and was wearing jeans. Pointing toward the waiting room, he said, "C'mon, Leon! Don't you want to try out that custom deck Pegasus gave you?"

'Pegasus was here?' floated in Rebecca's mind for a second before remembering that he was to fight Keith at the conclusion of the ANDMT. How long has Pegasus been here, anyway?

"Well, I mean, I'm not really that good, and everyone that's here is a pro."

"But wasn't there a girl about your age cleaning up?"

Rebecca's whole body tensed.

"Wait, are you saying I should go challenge Rebecca? I think she's way stronger than she looks. I mean, it looked like she just crushed her last opponent without much trouble."

The acknowledgment she had craved caused Rebecca to smile. It felt like power, like a queen overseeing the land in all her glory…until Tana's ghost haunted her mind.

"Don't tell me you're scared of a girl?"

"No! It's just that I'm not sure picking a fight against a pro is a good idea!"

They stopped talking, and Rebecca began to ponder the best course of action. Should she go out, introduce herself, and challenge Leon? He deserved a spine; maybe she could beat one into him, not to mention this being an opportunity to find out what deck Pegasus bestowed.

Tapped on the shoulder, Rebecca cried out and jumped backwards into the hallway.

"The hell are you doing, snot?" asked Keith. He peered over the corner Rebecca had hidden herself.

She glanced to see if his disturbance caught Sam's and Leon's attentions. It did, and they were now looking in her direction. The next second Rebecca found Keith smirking.

"Kid, you're too young to be doing #$%."

Rebecca covered her cheeks and backed away.

"You oughtta at least wait 'til you're that chick Tana's age. Speaking of, did you happen to see the huge guy she was with after the match ended?"

She nodded; who could miss Death himself?

"Small world, you know. I've seen that guy lurking while I played in private sessions of high-stakes Duel Monsters. I hear that ugly #$% happens when that bastard comes for the peasants I beat. They call him the grim reaper" Keith shrugged. "Oh well. So long as I get my cash, they can rot for all I care."

Rebecca looked away.

"Anyway, I just wanted to thank you for trashing that loser. I've been so goddamned bored, and it'll be a while before I fight Pegasus. He might be somewhere in this building, or so I've heard. Later, loser." He brushed past Rebecca without further comment.

Sam and Leon approached her.

"Hey, aren't you Rebecca?" asked Sam. "And wasn't that Bandit Keith? Wait…aren't you about to fight him during the next round? What was all that about?"

"He's just doing some trash talking" replied Rebecca. "You must've heard from somewhere how much he loves doing that. Uh…what are you guys doing here? I haven't seen either of you before, and I don't recall either of you are participating in the ANDMT."

Sam and Leon exchanged glances. A grin appeared on Sam's face to Leon's horror.

"Uh…Leon here's the European Duel Monsters Champion! He claims that he can kick your ass into next week."

"How-I mean, I never said that!" exclaimed Leon.

"He's been waiting here to stomp on the next person, claiming that everyone here were just random chumps."

"No!"

Wanting to see Leon's deck, Rebecca copied Sam's expression and directed it at Leon. "Is that so? Then I want to teach him a lesson."

Leon held up his hands. "But I don't think there's enough time to-"

"Leon, you can't back down from a challenge. And she's just a girl!"

"He doesn't have that air of a Champion," said Rebecca. "So it should only take 2-3 turns tops for me to take him down."

Sam grabbed Leon's wrist before the latter could react. "Then it's settled!"

* * *

PaniK sniggered as he arrived. "I guess that passes."

The tension returned in force into Tana as she stood in the luscious hallway outside her hotel room.

"Passes?" she said. She pointed at her own strapless long red dress and high heels which someone left on her bed. "They let you go in looking like a creep while I have to dress up?"

A sudden idea overtook Tana: what would PaniK look like in this dress? A grin cracked on her face. When in doubt, don't imagine them in their underwear, imagine them in a dress!

PaniK raised an eyebrow, but pointed to the elevators and said, "It's time. Follow me."

The elevator opened to a small wooden entryway, little bigger than a closet. Two men in black suits guarded a curtained doorway. PaniK greeted them.

"We've been expecting you," said one of the men. "And she's Tana Cross?"

"I'm here," said Tana. She pressed a hand against her chest. "And ready to party! Or whatever it is you guys plan on doing to me."

"Very well. Braiden won't be here for a while, but you can make yourself comfortable."

"Thanks, I think."

The men stepped to the side and pulled the curtains aside. Entering after PaniK, Tana found herself in a bright and decorated room similar to the stage of the ANDMT, but much smaller in scale, room enough to seat about a thousand. The walls were yellow and brown wallpaper helped to make a homely atmosphere. Multiple spotlights were hanging in a circle on the ceiling mid-distant from the center hung from the ceiling, shining their light on the main attraction.

The main attraction was a tall glasslike box about the size of the closet she had walked through to get into the room, which was connected to all kinds of wires laid on the floor. There was a door to get in the box. Inside were two chairs and a table with a 5x5 grid.

Tana blinked. Was that going to be the duel stage? Just what was Braiden planning?

"You look well-dressed, Tana."

"Carl!" She walked over to hug him. "You're well-dressed too, tuxedo and everything!"

"And since you're here…"

"I do NOT want to hear an 'I told you so' out of you."

"But see? I was right after all. That plan was stupid."

"I just told you not to say it!"

"But I didn't actually say it."

Tana heard muffled talking coming from behind the curtain, which soon opened for Andrews to walk through with a somber expression.

"Andrews? It's good to see you in one piece!" Tana smiled, which elicited the same from Andrews. "And I see you're well-dressed, too.."

"I was flown in privately," said Andrews. "Ted decided to pay his debts off the long way instead of in one shot, so I guess it's just us. By the way, any word on why we're well-dressed?"

"It kind of looks like there's going to be a duel in that weird box. Considering our situation, I figure it'll be our absolute last chance."

"What's the need for the glass box?" asked Carl. "Some sort of execution?"

"Oh gosh, I hope not," said Tana. But what if it was? Morbid curiosity triumphed, so Tana called out, "Hey PaniK, any idea of what that box is?"

"I can't fully answer that," he said, "but you guys are in for a real treat before dying if this is what I think it is."

"Wait, you know?"

"You'll find out for yourselves soon enough. But sit down and make yourself comfortable as we get the radio running while we wait. After all, I thought you might like to tune in and hear how the girl who put you three into this misery is doing."

**DUEL 7**: vs. Keith

"You're a #$%# embarrassment, you know that?" said Keith. "Brat starts running circles around you until I interrupt and save your ass."

"Shut the hell up!" shouted Rebecca. "So he was a bit stronger than I thought he'd be, but I would've won that game."

"Haw! You know the real reason I butt in? I wanted to be the first one to crush you. It's just not the same if someone else raped you first."

"Hmph. Well, ladies first," said Rebecca. They drew their cards. "Witch of the Black Forest in defense mode. I pass."

"I haven't taken a turn yet and you're already on the defense?" Keith drew a card as Rebecca glared. "Mechanical Fish, attack mode. My Fish kills your #$%# of the Black Forest."

"Since my Witch died, I can take another monster." Rebecca took Sangan from her deck.

"Revolving door of weaklings. I set one card and pass."

Rebecca drew a card: Dark Hole. It killed all monsters, but his machine cards had anti-magic armor. She sighed. "Mystic Tomato, attack mode. I'll equip it with the Axe of Despair and attack your Fish."

"But before you get to attack, I get to fire off my set card: Cyber Jar."

"Goddammit." Already she lost her Axe, a precious offensive opportunity. This was bad; against someone like Keith, her deck needed all the help it could get.

Cyber Jar forced both players to pick up five cards after discarding the monsters on the field, and then summon monsters levels four or lower while adding everything else into the hand.

"I get to summon Mechanicalchaser. Haw, looks like I've got some good cards."

The rest of his cards were high-level machines or other useful cards: Machine King, Launcher Spider, Barrel Dragon, Time Machine…and Stop Defense! Rebecca bit a nail and picked up five cards from her deck. They were all monsters, all useless against Stop Defense.

This was going to be a long, painful duel.

"I have Maiden of the Moonlight, Witch of the Black Forest, Sangan, Skelengel, and Giant Soldier of Stone," said Rebecca. "They all go into defense mode. I set one card and pass."

"What's the matter, kid?" asked Keith. He drew a card. "Can't keep up with me? Want me to slow down? #$% you! Let's start with The Pillager,"

"The Pillager?"

"I look at your hand and steal a card," he said. Rebecca looked as if he dumped steaming water on her head. "C'mon, show me your damn hand so I can pick a #$% card."

Rebecca shut her eyes, bowed her head, and complied. She had a Stop Defense in her hand. Keith's situation had done nothing but improved. Two Stop Defenses for Keith's aggressive deck? BAD. On top of that, Keith knew most of her hand except her set card.

"Nice card," he said. "I didn't think I'd find something I could actually use. And now I think I'll have Chaser attack that Maiden."

Rebecca discarded her dead monster as Keith continued his turn. Her set card was Mirror Force, but she wanted to save it for his more powerful monsters. He had declined the use of Stop Defense, no doubt waiting for his stronger machines, or maybe suspicious of a trap.

"I'll set three cards and end my turn by summoning Barrel Dragon in attack mode."

Rebecca drew a card; another magic card meant to attack the opponent. She shook her head and sighed. "I pass."

"Then I'll take your turn too." He drew a card, and after taking a quarter from his pocket, flicked it onto the table. "Hmm…first, I'll switch Chaser to defense mode. Too bad you won't get to defend when I flip over Stop Defense."

Rebecca clenched a hand as he did that.

"Did you plan on using your other Stop Defense too?"

He glanced at her set card and brandished a quarter. "And end it all in one turn? That would be too easy. Now change that #$% Skelengel into attack mode. Dragon attempts three attacks on Skelengel. My Dragon's all about Russian Roulette; I get three flips, and every time I flip heads, I get to attack at 2600ATK.

Keith had a 7/8 chance of causing grief and threatening a massive 1700LP damage. He flipped the quarter for his first attack and it landed flat on the table felt: tails. Then tails again!

"Dammit. Well, time to flip heads," said Keith.

"I still have a fifty-fifty shot!" said Rebecca. Just one more tails flip, and Keith wastes a Stop Defense! That 1/8 from before could emerge!

"You never know, kid," He took the quarter and clenched. Despite only having a fifty-fifty shot however, Rebecca found the lack of uncertainty on Keith's face unsettling, like he knew the next flip was heads. She could have even sworn his eyes glinted just before the flip. "You just never know."

Keith hawed and shot her Skelengel with his hand; he flipped heads.

"#$%# outta luck, kid. My Dragon attacks Skelengel!"

"Your attack triggers my trap, Mirror Force!" said Rebecca.

"So you totaled my Barrel Dragon. Or rather, almost totaled it. Why don't we go back in time and redo this? Since Barrel Dragon was on the field last turn, I'll activate Time Machine to bring it back n' counterattack."

Time for Rebecca to go rigid.

"And guess what? I'll make all my attacks on Skelengel again." He flipped the coin again; heads on the first try. Keith gunned down Skelengel.

Rebecca drew her card due to Skelengel's death.

"I think dealing 1700LP damage should be enough for one turn. I wish you could see the look on your pansy face, it's full of despair!" He hawed even louder

Rebecca's face turned from despair into hope after drawing. "I set two cards and pass."

"You sound pretty confident for someone who just lost a chunk of life points and knows her opponent holds another Stop Defense."

"Just go already."

"Don't talk like that to me, you little snot." He drew a card. "My Dragon attempts to attack that Soldier of Stone, Witch, and Sangan."

"No Stop Defense again?"

"Since you were such a hoot last round, you've earned the right to be toyed with. Consider it an honor."

She pointed to her set cards "I bet that's because can't finish me this round!"

"Big talk for someone with only 300LP," said Keith. He flipped thrice. "Hell yeah."

"No way!"

"You only wish you could be this lucky, don't you? I haven't had a nice sweep like this for some time now."

"Hold it!" Rebecca stood up and pointed at Keith. "Let me see that coin!"

His face went from grin to grim. "Are you accusing me of cheating? ME? Bandit Keith?"

"There's something weird going on here. Your flips are way too convenient. You just happen to kill all my monsters in one shot like that? Something's wrong."

"Don't make a #$% embarrassment out of yourself; remember that this game is televised. You want to challenge the Champ's rep and you're that confident? How about you compensate me for defamation once I prove you're wrong?"

Pacified, Rebecca sat down.

She wanted to challenge him. Her gut told her he might be doing something, like hiding a second coin, two-headed, in his hand. After all, if memory served he used to be a professional high-stakes gambler before Duel Monsters. Perhaps he was willing to take risks to cheat and bluff? Maybe he thought she would back down against that pressure?

In the end, Rebecca decided not to press the matter: after all, dead monsters help her out in the end, and she was about to get rid of his Dragon anyway. In addition, Keith could have guaranteed himself a one-turn kill earlier if he knew the outcome of those flips.

And despite suspecting cheating, Rebecca found no point on risking her own credibility. She had her whole life ahead of her; what would everyone make of her if they thought she would blow up over something like a coin flip in a mere card game? The mockery would never end.

"Sorry," muttered Rebecca. Disgusted at herself for apologizing to Keith, Rebecca bowed her head. "It's just…I don't think I'd be so worked up if you were someone else."

He smirked as Rebecca sat down.

"Well, I'll give you credit for being the first person to say something like that." Keith chuckled. "Kids these days."

"Anyway, you killed a monster," said Rebecca. "That triggers my trap, Michizure, which kills your Dragon. Then, thanks to Witch and Sangan, I'll take Shadow Ghoul and Morphing Jar from my deck."

"Morphing Jar? I'll be damned. I set one card, summon Launcher Spider, defense mode, and end my turn."

Rebecca drew a card. "I summon Shadow Ghoul, attack mode. I've got six monsters in the Graveyard; so now it has 2200ATK.

"And to think only a few seconds ago, you were whining about me cheating."

Ignoring his comment, Rebecca scanned the field. Launcher Spider was too strong for an attack if it was in defense mode. She was also certain that Keith set his other Stop Defense since he must be expecting her Morphing Jar. Times like these, Rebecca wished she had Heavy Storm.

"I pass, but I'll flip my Jar immediately after you draw a card."

Keith glanced at the card he drew and discarded it with the rest of his hand while Rebecca flipped over Morphing Jar. After all, Keith still had the formidable Machine King in his hand, which had the potential to compete with Shadow Ghoul if it got onto the field. Maybe this time, Keith's new hand would have cards less threatening, if such a thing was even possible.

Prior to discarding her own hand, Rebecca revealed the Cannon Soldier in it and pointed at her Morphing Jar.

"Just an FYI, Shadow Ghoul takes an additional 200ATK."

"A shame I don't care." After they drew their cards, Keith flicked Blast Sphere on top of her Shadow Ghoul. "I'll summon this onto your Ghoul and blow it up after your next move once you draw. I'll pass."

Rebecca drew a card and stared at his card, her face downtrodden. She had nothing in her to save with which her Ghoul and Monster Reborn was not in her hand.

This whole duel was like trying to knock down a wall with her bare hands. Every time something might go her way, Keith figured out how to be a #$% and thwarted her plans. He was a relentless, overwhelming pain. The situation could make men cry . Despite her hating to admit it, there was a reason this guy was the American Champion.

"Shadow Ghoul goes into defense mode," said Rebecca.

"Nice way to spend your move. Blast Sphere explodes and your monster dies. So much for your trump card!"

"I set a card and pass."

Keith drew a card. "Well, I'm passing too. You'll have to summon a monster sooner or later…and you know the Stop Defense is waiting for you!"

Rebecca drew a card and her eyes lit and extinguished seconds apart. Was this draw a thread the demons used to taunt those burning in Hell who wanted to escape, a false hope?

"I'll use Monster Reborn to revive your Dragon." She held out her hand. "Cough it up."

"Looks like you've finally noticed what's good and what's #$%," said Keith as he handed her his monster. "Now if you could just string 40 cards like mine together, you might even avoid complete embarrassment."

"It just happened to suit this particular occasion."

"Whatever you say, runt."

Rebecca looked at Keith's field. He had three set cards: Stop Defense, something that could defeat a magic card, and another card unknown. Barrel Dragon could destroy his Launcher Spider and it was likely Keith would not have something stronger. She hoped.

Then she looked at the two cards she had set. They would provide protection, but Keith's confidence was unnerving. Still, this was a good opportunity as any.

"My Dragon attempts three attacks on that Spider," she said. Blocking the quarter Keith flicked at her face, Rebecca took the coin and prepared to flip.

She flipped tails. She flipped tails. She flipped the coin at his stupid face.

He caught it without flinching. "That's my money you're throwing around," he said.

"With all the money you win, sparing a quarter is impossible?"

He flipped the quarter back to Rebecca. "You know what? You're right, you keep it. It's more prize money than you'll ever win."

The last flip: heads.

"My attack is successful," said Rebecca. That ends my turn."

"You really should consider yourself lucky," said Keith. He drew a card. "Not only did you get money, but you had a chance to dirty one of my favorite cards with your #$%-covered hands. Slot Machine, attack mode. And I'll give it a power-up of 700ATK with 7 Completed. With 2700ATK, I can even crush my own Dragon."

"Sorry, you goddamned metal-head, said Rebecca. Either the 7 Completed goes, or she goes. "But I activate De-Spell."

"You know, I overheard from somewhere that you're supposedly a genius, right?"

"No…you wouldn't!"

"Great minds think alike. I'm playing my De-Spell too."

Rebecca resisted the urge to collapse onto the table and die with her last hope of any offensive. The only thing left to do was sit in a daze until he decided to move in for the kill.

"Looks like my Slots gets to attack the Dragon after all. And judging by the look on your face, I don't think your deck has #$% worth playing. Enjoy your last turn, you damn brat."

Rebecca drew a card and cringed: Solemn Judgment. If only she had that card last turn!

"I set a card, and then summon Witch of the Black Forest in defense mode. I pass."

Keith drew a card and frowned. "You know, I was thinking about killing all your monsters and making you lose that way, but you probably don't have anything worth killing. You're no pro; you couldn't even dent my life points. Well, whatever. This ends now. I'll use the Card Hexative I just drew to seal whatever #$% you just set."

She wilted. In front of millions of viewers, she was about to die a painful death, meat for the Champ. Rebecca realized that that the spectators in her periphery hearing were all cheering for Keith to deliver the final blow as he flipped over the last card.

Was this all she amounted to, a sacrifice to the Champ for the crowds to watch?

"You know, I've been waiting to use my own Stop Defense for a while. The Witch goes into attack mode," said Keith. He gunned down her Rebecca with his hand, just like he did with Barrel Dragon. "The Slots attacks; I win. Get the #$% outta my tournament."

The memory of Keith's previous opponent screaming in defeat flashed into her mind.


	10. PaniKing

**CHAPTER 10**

"You love those long shots, eh? Pay up, 'ole chap!" The sound of money rustled as the radio died down.

"Figured it was worth a bet. I hoped the margin would be a tad closer though."

"2000-0? Got crushed, didn't she?"

"At least she's not in this hell pit, though."

"Can we get some more brandy over here?"

"Can't wait to see this. I heard that box down there's from KaibaCorp?"

"Must've cost a fortune to smuggle that here. Where the hell is that brandy?"

The seats around Tana had filled with chatty spectators while Rebecca had her duel with Keith. Was "refined" a word befitting for this crowd? Were it not for the fact they were all dressed well in clothing Tana could never hope to afford, they acted like an uncouth mob.

Tana leaned into Carl's ear. "I'm scared," she muttered.

"Yeah," he muttered back. "I wouldn't want to meet these guys in a dark alley…or at a business conference."

Andrews said nothing, his arms still folded.

Tana heard something, so she strained to hear the voices from behind the curtains.

"Braiden! We've been expecting you."

"How'd you get that 'that' in here, man?"

"Connections, connections!" said Braiden. The voices indulged some laughter. "How is security tonight?"

"Word has it that Seto's kid brother Mokuba is running around, maybe on a tip."

"Wait, really? I thought he was with Seto; they should have seats reserved at the ANDMT, right?"

"I don't know. So do you think attending the tournament was a pretense?"

"He ought to have a meeting with Pegasus. Besides, they'd both be hunting instead of watching some foreign tournament if they knew one of their top-secret prototypes was here. Maybe it was only Mokuba who got wind of something?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure it's a good idea to linger for long around here. If Mokuba finds out and Seto gets here, it'll be a huge mess for all of us."

"Well, it's not like we'll even be here long anyways, hour-and-a-half tops" said Braiden. "With the new technological spectacle, three duels and the…punishments…that ought to be enough for the crowd's money. But keep me posted."

Punishments? Tana gulped. Not like she was expecting them to skip it, but what were they planning to do?

The curtains opened, and Braiden stepped in and walked down towards the stage without a word to the doomed trio. If someone had told Tana that the laid-back Braiden ever dressed this well before today, she would have laughed in their faces. Yet here was, dressed like a ringmaster in the circus: a red coat, black dress clothes, white tie, and a cane.

The lights dimmed as the spotlights turned on to follow Braiden. He gave little waves in all directions as the chatter became clapping, and then silence once he held up a hand.

After making a cough, Braiden spoke, his voice booming throughout the room. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are honored that all of you have gathered here tonight. As many of you may or may not know, Duel Monsters is quickly becoming an international phenomenon. No doubt many of you by now have invested significant sums into Industrial Illusions, but an insider has told us that KaibaCorp will soon team up with I2 and open the door for a new world of Duel Monsters. I present to you all, the BATTLE BOX!"

Several spotlights shone on the Battle Box as the silence broke into whispers.

"I have to apologize if it looks a bit cumbersome with all these wires, but it's a special prototype taken straight from the KaibaCorp labs. Rest assured, even you guys here couldn't pay enough to own one of these."

The crowd laughed.

"But you peasants mustn't fear! Today, thanks to certain contacts, we'd like to show off the Battle Box and a certain 'something' with a few high-level duels! Several of you probably know the rules for the game, but even if you don't, that won't spoil the fun tonight."

Tana shielded her eyes as a spotlight shone on her, Carl, and Andrews.

"These aren't going to be meaningless games, of course," said Braiden. "Because that trio up there? Each of them, up to their neck in debt, will soon bet their lives on a game of Duel Monsters to clear it or die trying! Yes, in exchange for running the risks of fighting in the Battle Box, then should they win, they can receive absolute clemency for their past failures and I'll personally shoulder their debts! Aren't I generous?"

So that was why he kept them alive, even her! No doubt Braiden has been recovering the money he lost betting on her by charging these spectators; maybe he even turned a profit today despite his setbacks.

"Can I ask one of them to step down here?"

Tana and Andrews leaned over Carl and whispered among themselves.

"Does this mean we're dueling now or what?" said Tana.

"If it's the same opponent, I better go first," said Andrews. "I'm the strongest out of the three of us, so I'll stand the best chance going up against an unknown opponent. You two can use the data you get watching for when it's your turns. Does that sound good?"

"I think it's for the best," said Carl. "If you're going first, I wish you the best of luck."

"Please come back safe," said Tana.

Andrews stood up, and trudged his way down the stairs, the spotlight on the trio now following him. His steps echoed throughout the room as the crowd said nothing. Watching him go alone induced some guilt into Tana. Was this fair? She never even objected, like she was glad someone else volunteered to take one for the team.

However, she made no motion to change the first player, rationalizing that this was for the best, this was what everyone wanted. After all, maybe Andrews went first out of pride. Who was she to take that away from him?

Half a minute later, Andrews stood in front of Braiden.

"I know that some of you can't care less about how the game's played or the tournament scene. But for those of you who do, you might know this guy as Andrews Lake, a man known for his zombie decks. To put him down for good, we've taken the liberty of preparing a special executioner to fight him!"

A surprised Tana watched PaniK stand up and walk down the steps into the pit.

PaniK walked into the Battle Box as Braiden continued to speak "I won't say much about the guy we picked, but I can assure that in addition to his normal…duties, he's among the best duelists of the underworld!"

He continued to speak after shoving Andrews towards the Battle Box. "Ladies and gentlemen, our first match: Andrews versus the executioner!"

**DUEL 8**: vs. PaniK

The crowd cheered as Andrews stepped into the Battle Box, the glass door behind him auto-closing. Inside the box, the cheering was less audible. Breathing heavy, he took his deck out of his pocket and sat down across the executioner. Neither exchanged pleasantries, but the executioner's face was full of glee.

"Have you ever wondered what it's like to sit in the electric chair?" asked the executioner as they each shuffled decks.

"No, and I hope I never have to."

"If you two are ready," shouted Braiden, "let's show this crowd the BATTLE BOX!"

The crowd cheered as the executioner and Andrews drew their cards.

"I guess I should go first so you can follow my lead," said the executioner. "I'll just play one card this turn. And that card is…Castle of Dark Illusions, defense mode!"

The next couple of moments stunned Andrews and elicited excitement from the crowd.

At the place he summoned his card on the table, a yellow-brownish rock castle materialized out of the light and glitter before floating like a balloon over the table. Soon after materializing, clouds of darkness came out of the castle and blanketed the executioner's side of the field in darkness, save for his evil grin.

"So it's true!" exclaimed the executioner. "Solid Vision!"

"What?"

Braiden shouted to the crowd. "The future of Duel Monsters! KaibaCorp's holographic Solid Vision, the new way to play!"

"This is much less cumbersome than how I had to use the Castle in the past!" said the executioner. "It truly enhances my strategy!"

Andrews's face paled before slapping his forehead. "Give me a break!" After noticing the stat display revealed the Castle's ATK/DEF points and concealing the opponent's life points, Andrews drew a card.

"Battle Ox, attack mode." With the same glow as when the executioner summoned the Castle, a red-armored ox with an axe materialized. "I pass."

He heard the sound of cards moving, but the executioner did not say anything at first. Instead, a pair of red eyes materialized in the darkness, followed by a claw from the extending from the darkness to make a huge swipe. The Ox stumbled backwards before breaking like glass pieces and vanishing. The claw retracted, and Andrews noticed that he had lost 100LP.

"What…what just happened!?" shouted Andrews.

"The Castle of Dark Illusions allows me to conceal the number of cards in my hand and what's on the field. If this was a normal game, you could at least learn how many cards I have on the field along with the strength of the card I struck you with, but here, it always remains a complete mystery for you until I lash out."

Andrews's head throbbed.

"That's right your famed skills at reading the opponent are useless here! Now hurry up and draw a card!"

"Tch." Andrews drew a card. "Gremlin, attack mode. I'll see if I can hit whatever it is in the dark; Gremlin should be stronger."

A red Gremlin materialized and charged into dark, but after a few moments, returned.

"You fool," said the executioner. "You can't hit what you can't see! My turn. I'll show you a real counterattack!"

A new pair of red eyes now gleamed in the blackness. Clouds of darkness billowed forth as the eyes advanced until they were overwhelmed the Gremlin. The Gremlin shrieked, and then made what sounded like a choking noise, and then silence.

"You've lost another 600LP. If this keeps up, that shriek will soon be coming from you. I end my turn."

Andrews drew a card and realized the opposition must have had 2600ATK. Unsure of whether it was a temporary enhancement or a monster, "Golden Pegasus, defense mode. I pass."

A golden Pegasus materialized with its head bowed and knees bent.

"Why don't you just admit defeat and die?" asked the executioner.

Like with the Gremlin, clouds of darkness billowed forth. The Pegasus tried to escape, but the thing hiding in the darkness shot a black energy bolt. The Pegasus neighed as the bolt struck, staggering before falling and succumbing.

"Urgh…" Andrews drew a card. "I activate Call of the Haunted to revive Zombie Ox, Zombie Pegasus, and Zombie Pegasus in attack mode. Then set another card and pass."

Cracks appeared on the table as the three zombies climbed out of the crevices.

"Is that all?" asked the executioner. "Pathetic."

A grim reaper shot out of the darkness and sliced off the zombies' heads.

"Huh? Wait, no!"

The grim reaper ignored his plea and sank its scythe into the card. A flash of light exploded on the face of the magic card.

The executioner laughed. "That ends my turn."

Andrews tried to compose himself until he realized that the Reaper of the Cards defeated his most powerful magic card in one turn. A valuable resource, like life-sustaining water in a desert, lost to a thief. There was nothing to do but press onward, so he drew a card.

"Meteor Dragon, defense mode. I pass."

At almost the same time his red-shelled blue dragon had materialized crouching, the Reaper shot out again.

"You know," said the executioner, "I'm sure you prepared some sort of counter in case I tried to blow your magic card away with one of my own. I bet your card was De-Spell!"

Andrews cringed and groaned as the Reaper shattered the exact card mentioned.

The executioner laughed again. "I end my turn."

"Kuh…" Andrews drew a card. "I pass again."

"I can't have you playing defense mode all day. So I'll use Stop Defense on your Dragon. And of course, I'll kill it!"

His Dragon started resisting the magic forcing it to stand, but to no avail. The next moment, a claw dragged the Dragon into the darkness, squirming, flapping its wings, and roaring until a horrid cracking sound silenced it. Andrews found that he had lost another 800LP, no doubt due to the 2600ATK monster. The attack pinned Andrews to 500LP.

At last, Andrews's eyes lit up after drawing his card, grinning as he clutched it.

"Finally! I can finally take down that stupid castle! Night Soldier, attack mode. And I'll equip him with Sword of Dark Destruction."

"How can a monster on the ground destroy my FLOATING Castle?"

"Not only can he use swords, he's also a black magic user. With his original 2400ATK plus the Sword's 400ATK he'll fire a dark cutter into the sky and break that Castle!"

As Night Soldier grabbed the new Sword and prepared to cut, chains raced out of the darkness and stopped his movements.

"It was a good try," said the executioner. "But it looks like you've lost. Shadow Spell blocks your attack and cuts its strength by 700ATK."

"NO!"

"Since you're not doing anything to save yourself, you must be passing." The executioner laughed. "Perhaps you'll have better luck in Hell."

The chains dragged Night Soldier into the darkness. His screams turned into gurgles before falling silent, zeroing the life points of Andrews. The holograms dissipated.

Andrews stood up and looked around, but there were a dozen men guarding the lone exit.

The executioner stood up and headed for the door with an awful grin on his face. The men opened the door for him. Was the plan to keep Andrews in like this? Did this place double as a crazy execution chamber?

The men stood outside, so Andrews decided to force his way out. However, the executioner punched him back into the table. By that time, the men had shut the door. Wait, were these walls not made of glass? He threw himself against the wall; no success.

What did they plan on doing?

Something roared. Then more things roared. Had the execution started?

Andrews gasped as Duel Monsters appeared. But these were just holograms, right? If he stuck his hand through this scary, scaly, big-fanged dragon, it would just be a fuzzy 3D image!

Instead, he managed to touch its fangs. The dragon used them to chomp off his arm.

Andrews screamed. The pain was an illusion. It had to be. IT HAD TO BE!

Blood was squirting everywhere, and he Andrews was now short one arm and short of breath. The dragon now aimed to bite off his head. Andrews sank to floor, holding up his good arm as if it would do any good.


	11. Traitor

**CHAPTER 11**

Gripping Carl's arm, Tana pulled him close as he responded with a tight hug. Andrews, their strongest ally, lost in a complete shutout, and he was now cowering on the floor surrounded by hostile Duel Monsters. The poor guy looked like he was having a mental breakdown.

"There you have it, folks!" said Braiden. "One top duelist slaughtered 2000-0! And I did mention that he was betting his life on this duel too, didn't I? Fun fact about Solid Vision: it can directly interact with the human senses. It might all really BE an illusion, but that doesn't stop your body, your very nerves, from thinking it's on fire."

Several minutes passed when Andrews then stopped struggling. He sat on the floor motionless, twitching at intervals of several seconds, his eyes and mouth wide open. The men then opened the door and dragged out Andrews.

"As you can see, that man is now a vegetable, his mind all burned out from the relentless sensations of death. All that's left is to put a knife in his gut."

The hairs on Tana stood up as PaniK did just that. The men tossed Andrews to the side as the crowd murmured, curious and immersed from what they had witnessed.

"The show must go on!" said Braiden. "Now who will-huh?"

Tana noticed that one of the men who guarded the entrance was running down the steps with an agitated look on his face. When he reached Braiden, the man whispered something in his ear. Whatever he whispered, Braiden's face mirrored the informant.

"I'll go next!" shouted Carl. Tana perked her head as the crowd hushed while he stood up. "You're the worst, Braiden. If you wanted to kill someone that badly, why not just shoot him with a gun? Prolonging someone's suffering like that is inhumane."

"Fascinating. Then let's not delay, it's time for-"

"No!" shouted Tana. She strained her eyes as a spotlight shone on her. "I'm next."

Carl shook his head. "Tana, neither you nor I learned much from his struggle, and I want you to be prepared when it's your turn."

Tana stood up and whispered in his ear, "I know enough that I can at least try. Can I ask a favor from you?"

"I want you to be in the best possible shape when you have to fight that guy. If you can watch another duel, then maybe-"

"No way! Braiden looks like something happened, and if he fights me, I'm sure he'll lower his guard much more against me than against you."

"Huh?"

"Is there a problem?" asked Braiden. "We mustn't keep the audience waiting."

"Wish me luck," whispered Tana. She took a deep breath.

"Wait," said Carl, "what are you doing?"

Tana stood tall as she could, clenched her hands, and put on her most determined expression like a rebel fighting the regime.

"I'm going next," she said. "But instead of Carl and me fighting separately, we'll both stake our life on this match."

Carl gulped. "Tana?"

Braiden scratched his chin and nodded. "Interesting. As pleasant as my audience is, I'd hate to keep them longer than necessary. And this is certainly a worthy twist. But will Carl entrust his life with your hands? With you, the weakest Card Professor?"

Tana pleaded Carl with her eyes.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and nodded. "She has my consent. But if you think she's so weak, then you have to give her some sort of tangible advantage!"

"Then how about a gift of an extra 500LP? So many duels are 'if only I had extra life points!' I don't think it would unfairly affect the outcome; after all, skinning an extra 500LP off her will be way easier than an extra duel. So if you accept that, then I'll accept this proposal."

"I'm good with that," said Carl. "What do you think, Tana?"

Tana took a deep breath. "No."

Fascinating how one word could change the expressions on many faces; PaniK, Braiden and Carl each looked at Tana in amazement.

"I can win without the extra life points," she said. "Braiden, you've underestimated me for so long, you don't even know how far I've come since I joined."

"But Tana," said Carl, "this is the most important duel in your life, maybe even your last! You can't just recklessly charge into something like this!"

Tana turned to Carl and smiled. "I'm just apologizing for what he did to your money."

"That's not necessary! I knew the risks when I signed on and-"

She clasped his hands and bent to his level. "Can't you trust me with this fight? It would mean so much to me if you did."

After several seconds, Carl sighed. "Oh fine, if you're that determined. Take him down!"

"There you have it," said Tana. "I don't need your help. I'm taking that creep down, and Carl is confident that I can do it."

"HAHAHAhaha!" Braiden slapped one of his men's shoulder as if they were just told a funny joke. "I wholeheartedly welcome this DELUSION of yours. Time to DIE."

He turned to PaniK. "Give me your deck," said Braiden.

"Huh?"

Braiden pulled a large wad of money, and Tana could make out the top bill to be $100. He started to mutter something, to which PaniK nodded.

"It will be done," said PaniK. He handed Braiden his deck and started walking up the stairs, making no further comment while walking past Tana and out the room.

She addressed Braiden, "What are you…"

The crowd started to murmur, and Tana hoped that these sudden actions meant someone was coming to save them. Perhaps that Mokuba she overheard earlier would soon be here?

"It's a twist even I couldn't expect!" announced Braiden. "A skill mismatch with DOUBLE the stakes! I, the first and founding Card Professor, shall fight the worst member, who will not only be wagering her own life, but her boyfriend's in a long culmination of grudges!"

Failure is not an option!

On the spur of the moment, Tana turned to Carl's face and kissed his lips. If her fantasy would happen, someone would show up to stop the bad guys and everyone here, and she and Carl could escape happily ever after.

"Thank you for trusting me," said Tana. "We'll get out of this nightmare alive. I will definitely win."

Carl smiled and nodded.

She stepped down into the pit, the spotlights trained on her and Braiden.

"Very touching," said Braiden. He gestured to the Battle Box. "After you. I'll be inside once I make a couple modifications to this deck."

Tana did her best to ignore the corpse of Andrews while stepping inside.

**DUEL 9**: vs. Braiden

"I'll go first and summon Peacock, defense mode," said Tana. A beautiful bluish bird with a decorative tail materialized. If her first duel with holograms was under different circumstances, she would have wished to marvel at it. "I pass."

Braiden drew a card. "As for me…"Ryu-Kishin, attack mode. And pass."

Tana drew a card and hesitated after a gargoyle materialized, crouched for standby. Ryu-Kishin was a weak monster. Was he baiting? And did he not draw that evil Castle?

"Are you going to attack me or not?" asked Braiden.

Tana gritted her teeth. The path to victory comes with a level of risk. Whatever Braiden was doing, he knew it had to be done. And if she WAS going to attack, now was the time to hit Braiden with something strong.

"Monstrous Bird, attack mode," said Tana. "He'll attack Ryu-Kishin."

A bald eagle materialized before climbing into the air and dive-bombing into Ryu-Kishin. The next moment, the gargoyle fell apart, costing Braiden 1000LP. He flinched.

"I end my turn."

Braiden drew a card but played a different one. "This time, I'll summon Castle of Dark Illusions, defense mode. And that will end my turn." The Castle from before materialized and rose into the air.

"Huh? Why didn't you summon it last turn?" Tana noticed his sneer before the Castle's darkness arrived.

"It's called tactics, Tana. You never really got the hang of stuff like that."

"You call 'tactics' losing half your life points and not striking back? I could just go into defense mode and you'll have lost those points for nothing."

"Ha! You think whatever you want. It's your turn."

Tana drew a card and bit her lip. Why did he not counterattack with something strong? If that was all Braiden planned to do, there was so much more she would have done last turn!

"Punished Eagle, attack mode. And I'll use Rising Air Current to beef up my birds' attack strength."

A green Eagle materialized in the air, and Tana felt a cool draft in the air, a gentle breeze blowing in her hair. The Eagle's wings were spread, not even flapping to stay afloat. While this Eagle took flight, Peacock struggled to stay curled since the power-up reduced defense points.

The thought of chains flying out of the Castle's darkness during Andrews's duel flashed in her mind, and Tana wondered if he had prepared the same last turn. However, fortune did not favor the scared. With 2600 vs. 2500, this was a great chance to get rid of a dangerous card.

"My Eagle attacks the Castle."

Tana held her breath as the Eagle rammed into the Castle. To her surprise, the attack was a success; the Castle crashed into the ground and the dark clouds dispersed like settling dust.

"It worked? Wow, okay then." Was the darkness to die a premature death? Something felt off. First the free 1000LP damage, then knocking down the Castle against no resistance? "I'll set a card and end my turn."

"Interesting," said Braiden. He drew a card. "I'll use Monster Reborn to bring back my Castle in defense mode."

As if nothing happened last turn, the Castle rematerialized where it had floated, the darkness approaching.

"I pass," he said. "Appreciate the small reprieve you received. But you can't escape my darkness forever."

"I don't need to!" Tana drew a card. "I've got some of my strongest monsters out here already. I'm gonna repeat my attack!"

But as the Eagle moved to copy the attack from last time, it started flapping its wings like a fish splashing out of water. The Eagle recoiled after colliding into the Castle.

"You!" said Tana. "What did you just play?"

"Don't you feel it?"

"Huh?" He was right; what happened to the gentle breeze in the air?

"I De-Spell'ed Rising Air Current, so the Eagle loses 500ATK. That means with a 2100ATK versus my 2500DEF, you take 400LP damage."

"Urgh…I end my turn."

"Then I'll counterattack with this!"

Tana pumped her arm and grinned.

"Gotcha! I'll trigger my trap, Two-Pronged Attack! I can sacrifice two monsters and combine their attacks to check your attack! So with my Eagle's 2100ATK and the Bird's 2000ATK, they strike with 4100ATK. There's no monster that can stop that!"

The birds charged into the darkness, but Tana paled as she heard shrieking, cawing and a terrible SNAP before realizing she lost 1100LP.

"I'm down to 500LP?" she asked. "Why?"

"You must've learned simple algebra by now, right? It's obvious I just plowed through you with 5200ATK."

Tana's face failed to regain any color; had she not used Two-Pronged attack, she would have died there! "Where do you get 5200ATK!?"

He ignored her. "I'm ending my turn. Now, shake there and cower in defense mode! In one swoop, I've taken out two of your strongest monsters. Just give up!"

"No!" Half angry, half scared, Tana drew a card, and then bit her lip again to find De-Spell. Braiden must have combined something, but was it still 5200ATK strong? Maybe it was a one-shot thing? Even if it was still here, she could not aim De-Spell into the darkness, much less set it if he had that Reaper of the Cards.

"How's it feel to have fallen into my trap?" he asked.

"Huh?"

"Oh? My apologies, I forgot you were an idiot. I meant to say, how does it feel to watch me annihilate the strongest monsters and combos in your deck? Once they're played, you can't take them back; going all out like you've been doing means you have nothing in reserve, and I can now strike back at leisure. You're a sitting duck."

"I pass," said Tana. Anticipation of his turn caused her body started to shake and tense.

"And…I attack again!" The darkness lurched forward and surrounded Peacock. Tana heard cawing, followed by, a nasty crunch, and then followed by silence. "I end my turn."

Would this massacre continue? Tana drew a card, and a sigh of relief escaped her.

"What is it?" asked Braiden. "For someone cornered, you look pretty happy."

"A magic card!" she exclaimed. "Darkness Piercing Light!"

"What!?"

Upon activation, a point of light appeared in the darkness. Seconds later, it expanded and brightened Braiden's side of the field.

Tana's eyes widened as she drew in a deep breath upon realizing the 5200ATK monster, a brown-armored clay-skinned ogre in green pikes was still on the field; the monster that sent Andrews to his death.

"Hmph." Braiden folded his arms.

"Your strongest monster, King of Yamimakai, and attack-doubling Negative Energy? When did Negative Energy hit the field? Why didn't I notice the Castle's attack increase on the stat display?"

"I activated my magic card by giving up my right to attack, immediately after I brought back the Castle with Monster Reborn. Since the Castle is supposed to hide all my cards, you can't find out what I play until I cause a change in the stats or the field in such a way that requires knowledge of my card."

"That's so unfair! You get to set up a secret combo while I sit here defenseless?"

"Like I said, Solid Vision is the next level of Duel Monsters. If you can't adapt, then you deserve to lose."

"Shut up! I'm using the De-Spell in my hand to put an end to Negative Energy."

King of Yamimakai's attack dropped to 2600ATK and Braiden shrugged.

Tana glanced at the Nobleman of Crossout in her hand. Even if she used the card now, it could only make a little dent in his offense. But maybe there was a chance to deter an attack?

"I summon Crimson Sunbird in attack mode and equip Follow Wind to it. They both have the same attack strength now. I end my turn"

Braiden's side of the field fell into perfect dark again as the light wore off. "Wow. Even when you get this far, you lack the ability and timing to capitalize on an opportunity. Here I thought I'd have to struggle a bit, but in the end, you're going to die a miserable death."

"Shut up. Our strongest cards are staring each other down right now."

"You think THAT was my strongest card? Far from it! Silly birdbrain, if that's your strongest monster right now, then you're about to find yourself absolutely crippled."

"Huh?"Something cracked and crumbled, and Tana noticed the Castle sink into its own darkness. "What's going on now?"

"I need to sacrifice the darkness itself!" As he said those words, the dark clouds began to contract and implode to once again reveal Braiden's side of the field.

Tana gasped.

There was only one monster on his side of the field she knew too well from watching Carl's duels: the bluish skeleton-beast monster that wore a purple cape, 2800ATK. She managed a quick glance at Carl, whose expression also was that of surprise.

"Zera the Mant, attack mode!" said Braiden. His face was smug. "Turn that Crimson Sunbird into a crimson stain!"

Zera charged forward as Crimson Sunbird blew fire and fanned the flames, but Zera showed no signs of stopping. In fact, that devil charged through the flames and jumped on top of the Tana's monster before the bird could spread its wings. CHOP!-went the Sunbird's head, dealing 200LP damage to Tana.

"I end my turn."

"Where did you get Zera?" asked Tana. "There's only three copies of the monster and ritual pairing printed. Do you really have a second copy? Or did you steal it?"

Braiden face turned into that horrible grin she had seen so many times. "That's a good question. And if it's a turn or two before you die, I think you deserve a good answer."

"Well?"

"I'm sure you guessed?" Braiden pointed into the audience, and when he did, a spotlight shone on Carl. "Carl and I made a simple deal, he's actually a coward."

"That's a lie and you know it!"

"Your trusted boyfriend agreed to hand me those precious cards if it meant saving himself, despite knowing that I'd use those cards against you. He'd get an easy win when it was his turn to duel!"

"He would never do that!"

"Wasn't he claiming to give you the best chance of survival? What a hypocrite! Giving me such a rare and powerful card, he sold you out! He's only giving himself the best chance for survival. The only reason he has for wanting you to win is to cover that deal and save face!"

"I don't believe you."

"What does an intelligent, successful duelist like him want to do with saving others at his own expense? I'm sure that after all this time he likes you a lot and can sympathize with your idealism, but he just can't afford to get himself emotionally involved with a martyr's cause. I bet reality hit home when he lost to Rebecca and had nothing to fall back on at the critical moment."

She did nothing but glance at Carl, who had a confused expression on his face. Braiden had to be spouting lies!

"I mean, think about it. How else do you want to explain why a rare card like Zera wormed its way into my deck?"

"Maybe…you made a counterfeit!"

A smile crept onto Braiden's face, a smile scarier than PaniK's appearance, a smile scarier than anything or anyone Tana could remember in her life. She heard something click. "One-two-three testing! Can everyone hear me?"

Tana could hear the audience murmur. Braiden must have toggled communication inside and outside the Battle Box.

"I'd like to apologize to the audience, but there's going to be a dramatic intermission I'd like for everyone to enjoy. Would Carl please come into the Battle Box?"

His face still confused, he rustled past the murmurs and hurried his way down the stairs towards the duelists.

"What's this about?" Carl asked as he entered. He glanced at Zera. "Is that really…?"

"Carl," said Braiden, "please take out your deck and give it to Tana."

"Huh? Well, sure," he said. Tana looked at Carl as if his existence was a paradox. "I'm not sure I like where this is going."

Tana took the deck and started thumbing through the cards, Carl looking over her shoulder. The only thing she could hear was her own heart beat, and at the end of all forty cards, there was no sign of Zera.

"I think that should confirm everything," said Braiden.

"Braiden!" shouted Carl. "What's the meaning of this?"

"I'm only using the Zera you returned to me."

Tana sat paralyzed when Carl gave her a glance.

"I don't ever remember giving you the Zera cards back or adding the others!" said Carl. "What in the world are you trying to pull?"

"I was merely informing Tana how you betrayed her. Sacrifice her life to save yours."

"When did you do it? When did you get into my deck!?"

"Huh? I don't recall doing anything of the sort."

Carl grabbed the front of Braiden's shirt and hoisted him up. "Stop playing games."

"You think I stole it?" asked Braiden. "Then riddle me this: what careless idiot would ever leave such a valuable card like Zera unattended?"

It took Carl ten seconds to reply. "But that's like asking why someone doesn't carry all her jewelry everywhere she goes!"

"Yet Zera is a card that could have saved your life in a duel you knew was coming," said Braiden. "Only a carefree fool like a certain someone sitting across from me would lose track of it at a time like this. You're too smart for that. No, you made the completely rational decision to sell her out to save yourself. I guess you wanted Tana to always see the better side of you until the end, but I DID say there were no guarantees I wouldn't use the cards."

Carl backed against a wall. "No. This isn't happening."

"Tana," said Braiden. "I have an idea, since he's guilty and you're losing. You hate traitors, right? Well, here's a traitor in front of you! Teach Carl a lesson: forfeit the duel now to show him your anger! If you do, you'll prove that he can't pull the wool over your eyes, and you can die with your pride intact. It's not your fault for losing; it's the fault of that coward!"

"Braiden, you need to get lynched," said Tana. She tensed. "I don't know how you got your Zera back, but I doubt Carl just handed it to you. I bet you stole them."

"That's just your speculation. What proof do you have?"

"I don't."

Braiden laughed. "Are you serious? Even after the revelation that his act has been a sham, even after all your painful past experiences with traitors, you still want to deceive yourself until the very end?"

"But I do get a gut instinct, Mr. Thief. You're a conman through and through."

"Too easy. I won't delve into all the little details of this Zera arrangement, but Carl is a longtime Card Professor and I really want to keep his talents around; as a sign of goodwill, I returned his portion of the funds. Besides my fights with you, there's nothing else he can hold against me." Braiden shrugged. "It doesn't matter, though. You're about to die and so will your idealism that people don't put themselves first."

Rebecca flashed through her mind; Tana's heart began to doubt.

Carl laid a hand on Tana's shoulder, and she turned to see him sigh before wearing a forced smile on his face. "I did say it was a bad idea, right?"

Her eyes lit up and she beamed at Carl. He sighed again and smiled back.

That's right; Carl never wanted to risk her coming here just to save him, and if he never wanted her to take such an unnecessary risk, then his heart could never plan betrayal.

Tana then smiled at Braiden and said, "I guess I shouldn't be surprised you're so spiteful that you'd go to this length."

"Come again?"

"I don't think you'll ever get it. You're so convinced of this 'selfishness theory' that you think anyone who doesn't believe in your pack of lies is a fool. True, I can't prove Carl's words against yours, but I refuse to believe that he'd betray me."

Braiden bowed his head and Tana heard him click off the speakers. "Then think as you wish. But all you have are 300LP staring down one of the toughest monsters in the game. This could well be your last turn in this world."

Carl stepped aside. "Take him down, Tana!"

Tana set the card she drew. "Skull Red Bird, attack mode. I'll end my turn by using Nobleman of Crossout to get rid of Zera."

A red bird materialized at the same time a silver, long blond haired knight emerged. The knight charged at Zera. After a brief struggle, the Nobleman impaled Zera through the stomach, felling the fiend into oblivion. The nobleman knelt on one knee and disappeared.

"There!" said Tana. "Now we're even again!"

"In your dreams!" Braiden drew a card. "Barox, attack mode. Kill that Bird!"

The moment the blue-skin and brown-furred demon attacked, the Bird glowed a moment before flying forward and raining knives from its wings. Barox stumbled before toppling backwards, dealing Braiden 450LP damage.

"What?"

Tana had flipped over her set card. "Rush Recklessly gives my Bird a 700ATK power boost for the turn. You're down to 550LP; maybe you're not the pro you think you are, Braiden."

"Screw you." Braiden bared his teeth. "You're down to one weak monster with no cards left in your hand. I'll end my turn for now, but all I have to do is land one kill. Then all you'll be able to do is set up weak monsters for me to knock down until you run out."

Tana drew a card. "I'm switching my Red Bird to defense mode and pass."

Braiden drew a card. "As for me, I'll summon Dark Chimera. Attack!"

A tan-and-green-scaled monster resembling a wingless dragon materialized one moment, and blew fire like a flamethrower the next. Tana leaned back; the fire gave off so much heat! How much more so for her monster: all that remained was a couple red-charred feathers.

"That's pretty warm," said Carl.

"No kidding," said Tana

"I end my turn," Braiden said. "Looks like you're living on the top of your deck."

Tana closed her eyes and drew a card. "I use Monster Reborn to resurrect King of Yamimakai and attack!"

"Rrrgghh!"

The fiend materialized, and the Chimera started to blow a stream fire in response. But the King charged a black bolt ball and fired; the bolt ball bore through the stream before crashing into the Chimera. The Chimera shrieked in pain before collapsing, costing Braiden 500LP.

"Down to your last 50LP!" said Tana. "I end my turn. So tell me Braiden, how does it feel to be losing against the weakest Card Professor?"

Braiden grunted and ripped the next card out of his deck. He picked another card from his hand. "Metal Guardian, defense mode. And since you've used up your strong monsters already, I just need to wait until I summon something strong to win."

Tana drew a card and passed, Metal Guardian's defense too strong.

Braiden drew a card and grinned. "I summon Big Eye."

A red ogre wearing green loose silk pants with eyes all over its body materialized.

"I've got you exactly where I want you. I must confess that I'm impressed you've managed to whittle my life points down this far and last this long." Braiden patted his chest. "I'll be sure to say something nice for your funeral. Maybe you'd like to prepare a farewell speech to the audience and thank them for watching the show?"

"You…you don't have anything left!" she said.

"Ah, but I do. First, I'll use Big Eye's ability to gaze into my deck and reorder a card or two." Braiden took five cards and moved two cards to the front before stacking them on top of the deck. "Next, I'm activating Resurrection of Chakra, for which I'm sacrificing Metal Guardian and Big Eye."

Something like vines erupted from cracks in the ground and entangled his monsters. They struggled with their best effort, but these vines appeared to do more than just ensnare: Big Eye fell to its knees, Metal Guardian powering down. The vitality of the former dried like a raisin, as if the vines were trying to drink the monster down to its bones; the latter started to corrode as if it had weathered years of abuse.

Tana covered her mouth and Carl gripped her shoulders.

Something like a heart materialized: not the Valentine's kind, but the human organ kind. Four limbs sprung out of its "shoulders" to form multiple sets of sharp-edged claws, while its "legs" were blades shaped like a sickle. Its "face" was a single eye, and on its "stomach" was a skull embedded with the veins.

"Chakra, attack mode," said Braiden. "I'd like you to see one other card, please. Tana, I believe you'll find it appropriately familiar."

He revealed in his hand the trap card Mirror Force, the reflection of anguish.

"Wasn't this the card Rebecca used to backstab you with?" he asked. Tana narrowed her eyes as he set the card on the table. "Well, whatever; I'll pass here since Chakra can't overcome the current opposition. By the way, do either of you know Chakra's special ability?"

She shook her head, and as Tana turned to Carl, noticed he had no idea either.

"It's simple: for every monster I sacrifice or for every monster it kills, Chakra sucks its energy to gain a bonus 500ATK. It's true, I don't have a monster in my hand right now, but I have it on good authority that it'll be in my hand next turn. And once you start setting up monsters in defense mode, I'll fix it with the other card I stacked: Stop Defense."

Her eyes widened and she had a sudden headache. "That can't be!" If nothing happened, her last offense would die on Braiden's next turn.

"Oh, but it is." Braiden made a few slow, deliberate claps, his face wide and eager. "It's been a pleasant surprise to duel you down to this point. But all good things must come to an end. Draw a card and die, loser."

Tana stared at her deck, the next card a probable death sentence.

"Tana!" said Carl. He put the cards he picked up beside the deck. "What happened to that sense of justice you wielded?"

She shook her head, her breathing heavy. "I'm really scared."

"Don't say that! You can still win this!"

"No, she can't," said Braiden. He laughed. "Once my next turn is done, the two of you can hug each other until your minds hit mental oblivion."

Tana gasped and Carl kicked the floor.

"You want to repeat that last sentence, Braiden?" said Carl.

"Whoops! Oh well, I guess it doesn't matter now. Yeah, I lied about the Zera affair, I stole the cards. I just wanted to throw Tana into misery for all the grief she's caused me, so I saw no reason not to have my fun with a lie. And as for you, Carl, there's no point in keeping someone alive who would probably continue her work."

Tana pounded the table. "You're the worst monster ever."

"A monster about to eat the two of you alive."

"Shut up!" said Carl. He turned to Tana. "You can still win!"

"But Carl…"

"Didn't you say how the good guys would always prevail? That a villain like him has to lose? You can't let this guy just do whatever he wants! A miracle will happen. I promise with everything I've got, a miracle will happen here! Let's draw this card together."

Surprised, Tana nodded. "Right."

She took a deep breath and put her hand on top of the deck, her thumb just underneath the card. Carl put his hand on top of hers and did likewise.

"Show me the card that seals your fate." said Braiden. "Show everyone here the last card you'll both ever draw!"

"If there's any justice in this world, please let this be the one!" She never looked at the card, but slammed it onto the table.

* * *

Braiden looked at the couple with amusement. What a cute gesture. He licked his lips, eager to taste their reaction to the news of their death.

The draw completed, Carl stepped back. Tana still held the card face-down. Well, that was fine. They could delay fate all they wanted, but nothing would change. Forget Card Professors: someone like Tana could never defeat a proud Rare Hunter! Even if she became a top Card Professor, they might as well be playing in different leagues.

This was the perfect duel, an opportunity to crush the internal resistance that plagued him for so long and to test out the fake cards like that Zera the Mant on the Battle Box. How ironic that he could create conflict with counterfeits! How great was the Rare Hunter handiwork!

Nobody fights a Rare Hunter to the death and lives to tell the tale!

Tana flipped the card over, and all three gasped.

"NO!" shouted Braiden. "Not the Nobleman of Extermination!"

A burly man in pinkish armor wielding a broad sword materialized. After a war cry, he leapt into the air. Mirror Force activated, and a reflective barrier covered Chakra. The burly man, however, landed on the barrier and plunged his sword, shattering it like glass before he vanished.

Tana stood pointed at Braiden. "I win! King of Yamimakai attacks! Attack! Attack! Attack! Attack! Attack! Attaaack!"

King of Yamimakai charged forward, and after a duel of spikes and claws, penetrated the fleshy heart. Chakra's blood spilled onto the table, but Braiden screamed as if King of Yamimakai had instead ripped out his very heart.

Tana indulged for herself a long sigh as Carl hugged her from behind.

"Let's get out of here," said Carl. "I never want to see this room again."

"Wait a minute," she said.

Braiden slumped back into the chair, his arms dangling, his face sweating and head dizzy. He could just make out Tana grabbing Chakra and ripping it.

"That's what I think of you," she said. "You're just like this monster, consuming for your own selfish reasons. And I'm also taking back those Zera cards."

After they left, his vision started to dim into blackness, everything becoming quiet as his senses deadened. What was going on?

His hearing was still fine, however. A voice spoke, "I'm disappointed."

That voice, could it be? "M-master Marik?" Braiden stuttered the words, but he had not opened his mouth. This was a telepathic conversation.

"When I first heard from Steve that a Rare Hunter managed to help found and lead the Card Professors, I was duly impressed and decided to give the project my blessings."

"A-and it's been a pleasure to work with you! You have my greatest thanks! Let's continue to control the American world of Duel Monsters!"

"Of course, when I heard about how a certain subversive element was arising in your guild, I couldn't help but be a little concerned."

"This was, uh, this was just a one-time thing!"

"So when I recently heard how you managed to force the leader of that element into a corner, I thought there would be no further problems. I even had my men go all the way and seize that Battle Box to let you end it once and for all."

"Please! This was just a slip-up! A minor mistake! Surely you, the great Master Marik, can forgive a little oversight like this, a little bad luck?"

"Weren't you supposed to be a recruiter for your guild?"

"She's a single mistake!"

"But don't you get it? If you can't tell the wheat from the chaff, you're even more useless than that girl. At least she succeeded in her endeavors today, but you? You're not just useless, you singlehandedly recruited a massive liability. And if I recall correctly, didn't you say something about volunteering to shoulder a winner's debt before the duel?"

"What are you getting at?"

"I'm going to prune a dead branch. Please allow me to show you how it's done."

"Wait, no! Please spare meeeeeeee!"

Duel Monsters appeared from nowhere, among them a scary, scaly, big-fanged dragon…


	12. Field Trip

**CHAPTER 12**

The doorbell ring echoed throughout the Hawkins Research Institute, but Rebecca had been expecting it. When Rebecca opened the door, however, she was not expecting to find a slouching, spiky white-haired, snake-eyed man.

"Uh, good morning," said Rebecca. "I guess you're filling in for Braiden?"

They shook hands as the guest nodded. He wore a dark blue long-sleeves shirt, black long pants, tall boots, and gold diamond-shaped earrings.

He looked around. "I never did like this desert," he said.

"Yeah, you should probably come in. It's not summer, but you look like the person who burns easily, especially in weather like this. By the way, I'm Rebecca. What's your name?"

The guest stepped inside as Rebecca closed the door behind him. He glanced around before talking, and his voice fell to a whisper after the first sentence. "I'm Steve. Let's cut straight to business. Do you have some place suited for privacy?"

"I was thinking the same thing. Actually, we have a vacated office; one of my grandfather's co-workers passed away recently."

"It's always a shame." They walked into the old small office of Andrews. Most of the supplies, artifacts, and equipment were gone, but a couple swivel chairs and a work desk remained, so they each took a seat: Rebecca behind the desk, Steve in front.

"By the way, where's Braiden?" asked Rebecca. "I haven't even seen him in his shop."

"He's on an emergency business trip, so Braiden left things to me."

"I thought he was the one who organized today's affairs?"

Steve paused. "I just sent it on his behalf. I didn't know he'd be away this long. Sorry for the misunderstanding."

Rebecca nodded, but her whole body was tensing. The main reason she agreed to the whole hacking thing was because if something happened to her, then everyone would know it was Braiden. However, she had no idea about the identity of this person; although the impression she got was that he was close to Braiden, there was now the potential that she could go missing and nobody would have any clue on how to find her. Her mind sidetracked itself into whether continuing was a good idea, and in the end, decided that if he was on good terms with Braiden, the job should be safe enough.

The lingering doubts still floating around in her mind, Rebecca stuffed into a mental closet, justifying to herself that this was still worthwhile. Do this one thing, and the person who had the nerve to look down on her family, to kill them, would suffer justice.

"Let's get this started. From what I know, Braiden learned that you were a good hacker from somewhere. I think he told me he was going to test you on your skills and ethics. It seems you satisfy his criteria, and I trust his judgment enough that I won't hassle about those parts."

"I guess you and he are part of some hacking ring or something?"

Steve nodded. "You could say that. But this is seedy business, and you're a smart girl, so you'll understand if I don't divulge anything beyond that."

"That's fine, but he did plan on 'divulging' something I have a special interest in.

He smiled. "You're looking for who was responsible on what happened that day, right? Braiden gave me the info so your payment wouldn't be delayed."

"Sure."

"So did you come to a decision? Will you accept the job in exchange for the information? Will it be a problem for you?"

"I can handle it. I don't really care what happens to Industrial Illusions."

"I see. Then we might as well leave now. Are you ready?"

Rebecca opened the desk drawer and ripped out a sheet of paper from a paper pad which had a note she scribbled. Perhaps her grandfather might not like the fact his twelve-year-old granddaughter just goes off to attend a Duel Monsters tournament with a stranger, but oh well.

In fact, on the road, he called.

"I'm fine, grandpa," said Rebecca. "No, I'm not traveling alone or with a stranger. He's a friend I met during the tournament down at New York. Here, go on and talk to him."

She handed her cell phone to Steve and muttered, "You carry on this conversation."

Steve sighed, took the phone, deepened his voice for whatever reason, and said, "Hello? Me, the name's Bob. Yeah, I'm a friend of Rebecca, you must be her grandfather? She doesn't have your permission? Not what she told me. And I can't really turn around; we're nearing San Francisco. You should just leave her to me, it'd be a five-hour drive back and I can't leave her in the middle of nowhere. Huh? What tournament is this?"

There was a pause, and Rebecca turned her head from the desert scenery to see Steve glancing at her and the road. He seemed to expect an answer. She shrugged and returned to gazing out the car window.

"It's a private invite-tourney for recognized Duel Monsters players in the region. Your hotshot granddaughter and I were invited. Huh? Hey, if you want details, we'll have to talk later, I'm on the road right now. Oh, your granddaughter wants to talk to you."

Surprised, Rebecca turned her head in time to feel her cell phone drop into her lap. Picking it up like litter, and becoming annoyed from her grandfather, she turned the phone off and pitched it into the back seat.

"I guess he's not going to like the part when you return home past midnight."

"That's his problem."

"That's pretty callous, you know that?"

"Isn't that part of the reason you're taking me to this job?"

He chuckled. "I suppose that's true."

Neither said much for the rest of the trip. The two continued into San Francisco, breaking only for lunch, before arriving past the security gate and into Industrial Illusions. Rebecca took a good look at his car before following Steve into the skyscraper.

Inside was the atrium, big enough to remind her of a spacious hotel lobby she once visited. There was a crystal blue theme for the room, bright lights shining everywhere and reflecting off the tiled floor. There were two stairways on beside of the entrance heading for the second floor, while arches on the side were supporting the balcony on the perimeter of the room. On the walls left and right, several men and women were walking in and out of hallways which must have lead to the other wings or even other buildings. The huge characters "I2" hung high on the wall across the entrance. Across the entrance were a reception desk and elevator.

Rebecca and Steve got fourth floor with the elevator. Unlike the opulent entrance, the elevators opened to plain white walls with doors dotting the hallway, a typical office corridor. Perhaps she had expected it, but Rebecca smiled inside: even the great Industrial Illusions looks like a typical company inside. Rebecca followed Steve to door 428, located in the hallway of the IT department. A plate next to the door read, "Seth Murphy".

With a heavy poke from Steve, the door opened to reveal a lanky man behind a desk working at a computer in a messy small room with a large window looking out. He wore a business suit and round glasses, his face smooth and clear except for a thin mustache and chin stubble, and slick brown hair that reached sank deeper than his shoulders. The two men waved at each other.

"Seth," said Steve, "I hope you packed your bags. Today's your last day."

"Pity there's no retirement party," replied Seth.

"They've been a long two weeks, haven't they?"

"I think I might be approaching the record for the last guy we snuck in here." After the two men chuckled, Seth turned his attention to Rebecca. "Now who might the young lady be?"

"I'm Rebecca."

Steve nodded and said, "Pleased to meet you," before focusing on Steve. "So is the specialist really this young?"

Rebecca puffed her cheeks. "I'm way more than enough for this job!"

"Yes," said Steve. "Braiden managed to verify her competence before that accident."

"How is he, anyway?"

"Marik wasn't exactly pleased with a certain development, so he's on a trip."

Seth sighed and shrugged. "What a shame."

"Who's Marik?" asked Rebecca.

"An important contact," said Seth. He waved those thoughts aside. "But enough about that, let's do this. Could you two step inside and close the door behind you? Thanks."

After doing so, Rebecca asked, "I'm just working with a database, right?"

"A copy of it would be great, yes. And I certainly wouldn't mind if you were to keep your tracks covered from the IT department. So I'll just keep the computer logged in while you do your magic; I left a document on the desktop with some instructions to help you make your way around the system."

"Okay."

"Well, with your excellent timing, I'm leaving for my meeting, and then I'll be heading out for an appointment. I think I can just lock you two in here without any disturbance, housekeeping already went by. You have a copy of my key in case you need to leave, right?"

Steve nodded.

"Then I'll see you guys in about several hours."

Seth left and Rebecca sat down in front of the computer and then opened the document. Useful notes, but there was no doubt that between the complexity of the problem and the duties which he had to attend as an employee of I2, there was not enough time for him to figure this out. She sighed and began to work.

Steve started rummaging through a cabinet until he took out a couple laptops.

Rebecca put on the most disdainful face she could. "Going to browse the Internet while I work?" she asked.

Carrying them under one arm, he walked over to Rebecca and took care laying one of them onto the desk.

"I'd like you to save the database indicated onto here and learn to control your mouth. Nobody likes a mouthy girl."

"I didn't think I2 would permit a laptop for hackers."

"They don't." He showed Rebecca a sticker with a serial number on it. "These are their laptops, but modified. I2 doesn't even miss them."

Hours passed. A few times they took a standing break and watched the traffic outside the window, but she pushed to get the job done. After dealing with many unexpected difficulties, Rebecca would have given herself a pat on how hard the difficulties were. Meanwhile, Steve did nothing but type on his computer in random intervals or run programs she asked him. On a couple occasions, he would leave for several minutes to bring back tea or a snack, but otherwise, there was no interaction. Not that she minded the silence, although at times Rebecca wondered if he was trying to avoid her. An inquiry into Steve's typing revealed that he needed to keep in touch with Seth but said nothing more.

Rebecca's eyes lit upon her newest breakthrough, until they despaired upon the next dilemma. The new challenge was not technical, but moral. It dawned on her that once she went through with the copying and transferring of the database, there was no turning back.

She glanced at Steve. He was staring out the window. Sighing, Rebecca gazed at the computer screen and wondered what to do. The professional thing would be to finish the job, collect the reward and disregard what might happen to I2, but on the other hand, she might as well be opening Pandora's Box.

Wanting a hint, she said, "I'm curious. What is this database, anyway? PII?"

"I thought you'd have the imagination to have figured it out, but…" He shrugged. "You're close. There are some people who have the equipment to manufacture counterfeit cards, but they're missing the card identification. That database has information for the ID of every single Duel Monsters card, and I'm sure one of the things you were supposed to do was add a program to get the IDs for new cards entered in the future. All the effort and infiltration, along with the actual hacking, is worth top dollar. If Duel Monsters wasn't so big, I doubt that anyone would ever care about a job like this."

Rebecca swallowed.

"I'll let you in on a secret. Have you heard of Solid Vision?"

"Solid Vision?"

"KaibaCorp's newest top-secret project, real-life holograms."

Rebecca's eyes widened.

"And here's something good. Did you know each card contains a special microchip embedded? We wouldn't be going through all this effort if the only effort necessary was to just print copies. Solid Vision's the next big thing, but it's going to read the microchips. Without a microchip, the card can't be used in a duel. And even with a microchip, if it doesn't match to the database, it'll start ringing alarms."

"Why not just bribe someone who works with the database?"

Steve's face soured. "It works if we wanted only a few cards because of the sheer number of IDs in the database, and even then some are under some strong encryption. There's new data constantly being added, and don't forget, one of the problems is that we have to transfer a large amount of data without anyone knowing."

"Even I can't do the impossible. I'm doing my best, but I'm sure the IT department will eventually notice something and come knocking."

"But not today, because Seth is out for a reason, and it's not just because the meeting dragged on. Now if you would be so as to finish up and get out of the way…unless you don't want to find out the truth behind the attack on your family?"

She trembled. "Huh?"

He stood up and walked over. "You're either done, or close to done, because otherwise I can't imagine why else you'd be starting a conversation like this."

Rebecca cringed, and after a minute of hesitation, ceded her seat to Steve.

"When do you plan to tell me my payment?" she asked.

"Once I get everything needed and when we get off the premises."

Watching him copy the database filled her with shame. Staring at the floor, she refused to look at Steve or the computers.

Hearing someone unlocking the door, Rebecca worried it was security, but she was relieved to see Seth returning.

He glanced at Rebecca before asking Steve, "So did Rebecca give up or something?"

"No, actually, it's thanks to her that I'm copying the database myself."

Seth's face registered surprise. He hurried to the monitor. "She…she really did it?"

Steve turned to Rebecca with a smug look on his face. "Well? Knowing you, I thought you'd be bragging about how you managed to do what a dozen of our people can't."

His comment surprised her. Something like this was akin to be a professional achievement, but the guilt weighed heavy.

Trying to think of a way to drain the heat Rebecca could feel building in her head, she nodded. "Yeah. Of course, it's…it's only natural that I can do something like this."

Seth nodded. "Looks like I can take over from here. You guys can go."

With no further words, Steve pocketed his hands and left the room with Rebecca following. Her mind kept replaying the moment she let him begin making a copy of the database, and soon that they were back to the car. She noticed that he appeared to be lost in his thoughts to as they got inside.

He was about to turn the ignition when Rebecca grabbed his hand.

"I'd like my payment before you do anything else. I won't let you just drop me off back home empty-handed."

"Or you'll do what?"

"Maybe I'll inconvenience you and cause a wreck."

"So you want to pay for that mess when I claim that it's your fault?"

"You want to deal with the hassle?"

He sighed and let his hand drop from the ignition. Then, his other arm reached into the driver door's pocket.

Steve pulled out a gun and aimed at Rebecca's forehead.

Anybody would panic in that situation, and she was no exception

"T-that's how you want to pay me?" she asked.

"I can clean up the mess later, and Seth said he's got the cover-up ready." Steve then grinned. "But I'm a man of my word. I'll tell you who was responsible for the attack on your family: me. I'm a Rare Hunter."

The fear of the gun, of dying, held more sway over Rebecca than her anger.

"Have you heard of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon?" he asked.

She nodded, the fear never leaving her face.

"Rumor has it that your grandfather owns a rather nice Duel Monsters card collection, and that he's in possession of that card. He wouldn't tell me, of course. I threatened and even made good on the threat to kill some of his relatives, but you know about that part. And for all that hard work, the only thing he said was that he gave it away." Steve laughed. "What a liar. Who the hell gives away a Blue-Eyes White Dragon?"

Rebecca kept staring at the gun.

"Well, I don't really see any point in letting you live any longer. No point in leaving behind a witness for today's work, and you looked pretty hostile a moment ago." He shrugged. "Well? Any last words before you see your parents again?"

She clutched her chest. "I know where it is," said Rebecca.

"Oh? A desperate lie to save yourself? Sure, I have another minute to listen."

"If you kill me, you'll lose your best lead at finding that card. Since my grandfather knew I was into Duel Monsters, it was a something he felt like sharing."

"So where is it?"

With death a trigger away and her body mired in sweat, Rebecca tried to smirk. "He just moved it into a vault for safekeeping. But I haven't heard you brag about how you found and stole his card collection, so I guess it's still safe."

Steve narrowed his eyes. "You better tell me where that vault is."

"So you can just shoot me once I'm done?"

He shook his head and pressed the gun to her forehead. "If that's all you have to say…"

Rebecca chewed her lip for two seconds. "No, um, I mean, I have a proposition."

"Nah, I think your minute's up."

She started speaking off the top of her head. "As you just told me, you're responsible for the death of my parents, so I want revenge. And I know something you want, so you're a little hesitant to shoot me. This isn't something we can just trade, so why don't we make a bet?"

"I don't have time to play games. I still doubt you even know where the card IS."

"Then I'm sure you'll enjoy kicking yourself when you lose your best chance at getting that card." Rebecca drew her breath. "So shoot me dead. I dare you."

Rebecca did not bother to hide her relief to see Steve return the gun to the pocket.

"I'm not saying I believe you," said Steve, "But what do you want if you win? And how are we to carry out this bet?"

What would ruin Steve?

"I'd like for your name and face smeared for the world to see," said Rebecca. "So I'll leak the fact you're a Rare Hunter and you'll never be able to show your face in public again."

"Hmm…" His head turned to the car door pocket.

"As for betting," she continued, "how about we play a game of Duel Monsters?"

Her mind cringed at her mouth. She gets this far, so of course she just HAD to say something like that. Who wants to play a game of Duel Monsters against professional Duel Monsters card thieves and counterfeiters? As he burst into laughter, Rebecca opened her mouth to correct herself, but Steve interrupted.

"Great idea! To hear someone so smart suggest something so stupid, suddenly I'm in the mood to humor you! Why don't we meet during the next ANDMT, in the summer?"

"Why the ANDMT?"

"Well, you lose if you can't even make it there. And ignoring the fact that you probably can't 'collect' your prize should you win, we never discussed what happens when I win."

Rebecca was mute.

"Obviously, you're supposed to tell me where the Blue-Eyes White Dragon card is. But since I don't know whether you're telling the truth…" Steve leaned close and lifted Rebecca's chin so that they could gaze into each others' eyes, and whispered, "To be honest, though, I think you're lying. So if you can't disclose the location when I win, then I want your life. And because you're annoying, I want your execution to be so painful you'll be wishing I just killed you here with a headshot."

Shivering, Rebecca nodded. But at least she managed to return home alive.


	13. Gambling

**CHAPTER 13**

"Will you be okay by yourself, Rebecca?" asked her grandfather.

"Sure, but where are you going?" she asked. Of course, Rebecca knew that answer. All the details today had been worked out in advance.

"I'm attending a funeral for one my coworker, Andrews. So my colleagues and I will be arriving here later, maybe eleven or noon."

"Did they ever find out what happened?"

"It seems he got involved in a car accident and died instantly, though they were sort of vague on the details. Will you be alright here?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, then take care. I'll be back in a couple hours. Take care."

"You too. See you soon!"

Once he left, Rebecca leaned against the wall, looked up at the ceiling, and breathed a deep sigh as she let herself sink to the floor. At least he had nothing more to worry about for now, unlike her. Rebecca scolded herself; doing that I2 gig was dumb and the doubts from her closet said she was dumb. What a genius she was, Rebecca told herself, giving in to her pride just for a chance to get back at the person who killed her parents.

Now, she had a gauntlet to duel through just to stay alive, starting today.

Half an hour later, she trembled as a black convertible arrived. The driver stepped out, and to her horror, Rebecca realized that she had already seen him. He was the one who escorted Tana out of the ANDMT upon defeat, the one Keith mentioned was bad news for the loser peasants of a high-stakes duel…peasants like Rebecca

Less scary was the other person who got out, and Rebecca presumed he was her opponent for today's gamble. Yellow spiky hair, grey shirt, and black trousers in his late teens or early twenties, he stepped out with a lidless fast food cup in hand. Did he just have breakfast?

Both men shut the car door and walked up to the Institute. Rebecca opened the door, and the spiky-haired man waved as they entered

"The belle of the place?" he asked. He shook her hand. "I've heard some amazing things about you, princess. I'm Willa."

"Nice to meet you."

Willa hesitated, the monster's presence causing discomfort, "This good oaf here is…"

"You can call me PaniK."

Rebecca felt like a mouse next to this guy.

PaniK continued. "As per guild protocol, I'll be the witness and escrow for today's duel."

After taking a sip, Willa asked, "So, what be the stakes today? Shall we wager everything on one spin?"

Playing with a lot of money Rebecca did not have; she took a deep breath. "You're kind of reckless, aren't you?" she asked.

"I've seen my wins and losses, parcel of being a Card Professor."

"Um…" Rebecca turned to PaniK. "Could we talk in private for the moment? Upstairs?"

He stared at her like she was some sort of worm, but Rebecca did not blame him.

"Do as you like, but make it quick," said PaniK.

They walked upstairs into an office and closed the door. PaniK folded his arms.

Rebecca cleared her throat. "So, about the money, I-"

"I know where this is going," he said. "I have the gist of it from what Carl told me."

"I see." Rebecca had talked with Carl about high-stakes gambling through Duel Monsters. He tried to remind her about Tana, but Rebecca persisted, having decided that if there was a gauntlet to traverse, she might as well pave the way to collect a prize. In the end, Rebecca asked Carl to figure out how to arrange the gamble if at all possible and assured him that she had the money.

"To be honest though, at first I thought the whole thing smelled like a waste of time and almost called the guild to get another witness."

"What did you learn that made you change your mind?"

"Through my own channels, I learned you made a bet against the Rare Hunters to try and destroy Steve. But what you actually need is to pay me off to smear him. I have the resources to set him up for a fall."

"You'll excuse me if I say you're pretty shady."

"I may be part of the underworld, but I have a reputation to keep."

"Yeah, that's what the last person said."

"Why would I arrive here with a Card Professor on behalf of the guild if I wasn't trustworthy?"

Rebecca groaned. "Fine. I guess it's not like I have any other ideas or resources to get back at him. The Rare Hunters could probably just pay you off to keep silent. I should've known my wishes would just be a delusion."

"I'm rich; I actually don't care about money. Do you know the real reason I'm here?"

"Huh?"

"Do you know what happens when someone needs a lot of cash quick without loans or collateral?"

Fearing the answer she knew, Rebecca shook her head again.

The most evil grin crossed PaniK's face. "They have to bet their life."

Despite expecting the answer, her eyes widened. "Well, I mean-"

PaniK held up a hand to stop her. "I've seen all sorts of people make bets they literally can't afford to lose, and they panic. They lose all sense of judgment. Usually, I'm silently rooting for their doom so I can see the expression on their face as they fail."

Why was it so hard to breathe? Rebecca's mind flashed several images of how scared Tana was upon losing and then seeing this man.

"I never get tired of seeing those expressions."

"Y-you want to see the emotions I go through during the duel?"

"And Willa too. I'm going to make you both fight at a ruinous stake." PaniK laughed. "I can't wait to see the expression on his face when he hears about the wager I'm setting!"

"What's going to happen once the duel is over?"

"Well, if you win here, you'll collect a decent sum from Willa and set it aside to pay me later. If you then go on to win the bet proper, I'll leak a scandal to frame Steve." However, greedy glee washed onto his face. "But if you lose, you're going to die. Slowly, so I can hear you scream. And with the help of an experienced insurance fraud ring I know, I'll use your death to pay off Willa."

Rebecca sank to the floor.

**DUEL 10**: vs. Willa

The two returned downstairs to see Willa sitting at one of several little tables scattered in the dining room. On his left, his cup placed close to the edge, out of the way; on the right, a deck.

"Aha! Have the accountants concluded their arrangements? Any numbers I should hear?"

Rebecca took the seat opposing him.

"The wager is set at one million," said PaniK.

Willa expression changed to disbelief. "In pennies? This room doesn't look like it's worth a grand! This girl really is a princess?"

"I have confirmed that she indeed has the money needed. The transfer will take place at a later point after the match, but one million dollars is the wager."

Willa said nothing, but bowed his head and took a deep breath.

"Surely a Card Professor like you can cover a wager like that," said PaniK. "But I guess if you've fallen on hard times, I'll lower the number and let the others you're broke."

Willa's head jerked up. "N-no!" he said.

"Then that number is alright with you?"

"Only if the princess over here agrees with what you said. I mean after all, you're the one who proposed-"

"I accept the wager!" said Rebecca.

Willa's eyes widened as PaniK laughed.

"Then it's settled," said PaniK. He stood next to the table and folded his arms. "It's time to duel!"

"Ladies first, then," said Willa. His sentence was hoarse.

As they drew their cards, Rebecca realized her hand was shaking. This must have been the sort of pressure that Tana felt when the pretenses melted.

"Sangan, defense mode. I pass."

Willa drew a card and Rebecca noted that his hand was shaking too.

"The opening moves of our death match," said Willa. "Lancer Dragonute, attack mode. It attacks Sangan."

"Sangan's death lets me take another monster from my deck."

"Don't forget, Dragonute's lance can Pierce; your damage, please. I'll just ride the flow with that."

His first turn and she already lost 800LP. Rebecca's mind began playing with the concept of her life points and life itself.

Willa interrupted her as she was about to draw her next card. "You're forgetting something?"

"Huh? Oh, thanks. I'm sorry." Rebecca took Mystic Tomato from her deck.

"Hey, hey, you don't look like you're used to playing with such a wager. I'd feel guilty if I didn't give the distressed damsel a chance."

Rebecca drew a card. She had to remove his monster now.

"Mystic Tomato, attack mode. I'll equip it with Axe of Despair, and use it to attack Dragonute." That put Willa at 1100LP, just under her own 1200LP. "I pass."

"What a pace." He drew a card. "Axe of Despair, huh? Not too shabby. Serpent Night Dragon, defense mode. I set one card and pass."

Rebecca drew a card. Serpent Night Dragon was rare, expensive and powerful, but it was weaker than her equipped Mystic Tomato. Was it a trap? There was a good chance, but she liked the prospects of leaving something that powerful on the field even less.

After a bit of hesitation, "My Tomato attacks your Dragon!"

Willa flipped over his set card. "I activate Dragon Treasure and equip it to my Dragon. With another 300DEF, your attack ricochets."

She flinched; the ricochet dealt mere 50LP damage, but her main offense was as risk of dying and he now had a potential offensive combo.

"I set one card and end my turn." Mirror Force. Having that defense relieved Rebecca.

Willa drew a card and eyed her set card.

"I hear you're smart, but it looks like you were packaged into my trap."

"Huh?"

Willa pointed to her set card. "See, I figured that when you realized my monster became stronger than yours, naturally you'd do something to prevent that. My goal was to make you set a worthy trap. So before I do anything else, I'll activate Card Hexative."

She took a shaky breath.

"I see you've seen it? Looks like I was spot-on. Whatever that card was, can just take up space in the garage. Serpent Night Dragon attacks the Mystic Tomato." He grinned. "It seems the heavens favor me in this hellish world!"

Rebecca found herself down to 900LP and her Mirror Force now sealed. She summoned another Tomato from her deck, and then smiled at the next card she drew.

"I activate Tribute to the Doomed, so I'll discard a card to kill your Dragon. I'll also summon Millennium Shield, defense mode, and pass."

He shrugged and drew a card.

"Monster Reborn revives Lancer Dragonute to kill Mystic Tomato. I end my turn."

Her breathing slowed as the attack brought her down to 500LP.

Then she cursed her grandfather, an act that surprised and disgusted her. Why did he have to build such a crummy deck that put her life at risk? Why did she not even alter the deck, this feeble weakling that could die from the common cold? Maybe she could escape the duel?

One look at PaniK defenestrated that idea, and Rebecca's body went rigid. There was a hungering smirk on his face, as if he knew she was nearing her last moments. Escaping from a predator like him was nothing but fantasy.

"You napping over there?" asked Willa. "I see you're starved for help, but it's your turn."

She managed to stammer, "I…I…"

Willa shook his head. "Diving headfirst into high stakes Duel Monsters is commendable, but a fish must stoically accept her losses, you know?"

"Ugh…I'll summon Mystic Tomato from my deck, and then draw." Her face brightened at the new card, as if the deck wanted to prove its worth: Ring of Magnetism! She had gained a combo at the critical moment! "I set a card and summon Cannon Soldier, attack mode. I'll sacrifice Mystic Tomato for a direct 400ATK on your life points."

If she could make it through two more turns, victory was hers!

"What a good draw, huh?" Willa smiled at the card he drew. "But Lady Luck is a blind mistress. I drew a decent card too. Tri-Horned Dragon, attack mode. So I think I'll switch Dragonute to defense mode and attack Cannon Soldier."

"Dammit. Then I'll activate Ring of-"

"So way ahead of you," Willa said. His hands were trembling and his eyes were elated as he took a card from his hand and slid it onto the table.

Before Rebecca could flip over her card, she stared at the new card on the block: Synchronic Ability. He predicted her combo! His card let Tri-Horned Dragon borrow the Pierce ability from Lancer Dragonute, and with Ring of Magnetism weakening her Shield, his damned Dragon could take out her only defense and kill her during his next turn!

There was nothing else she could play to stop Willa, her fate a 100% chance of defeat.

An image of PaniK holding her up by the neck with one choking hand and running a dagger through her body with the bloody other flashed through Rebecca's mind. She was about to utter a scream, her mind telling her to take a chance and struggle, when something else flashed through her mind.

Rebecca let her cards fall to the floor.

"Ah! Hold on…" Rebecca crawled under the table, shut her eyes, and clenched her teeth.

She slammed her head upwards, banging the table. Her rewards were: dull pain, blurry vision, severe dizziness…and the sight and sounds of Willa's drink falling to the floor, spilling everywhere.

"The hell?" said Willa.

Disoriented, Rebecca left the cards under the table untouched. Instead, she returned to the table, and after straining her focus to see Willa attention was still on the cup, Rebecca switched the Ring of Magnetism and the sealed Mirror Force, and then flipped the latter over.

She turned her head to see a bunch of PaniKs with the same delighted expressions on their faces. One of her oft-quoted phrases ran through her mind: "Don't look down on me!" But here she was, having cheated moments ago, now praying that the Devil would protect her.

Her head in pain, Rebecca passed out of the chair.

* * *

PaniK took a moment to enjoy the sight of Rebecca sprawled on the floor and unconscious. That posture reminded him of so many of his past victims. And those expressions she made after Willa activated Synchronic Ability, that desperation to survive, those moments were worth gold. This duel was worth coming into a desert to watch.

"Hey, you alright, Rebecca?" asked Willa. The surprise on his face when he noticed her was incredible. Then, he sighed. "Guess not."

"But that's alright," said PaniK. "The duel's over."

"I suppose so. Well, it's not like I'd expect her to salvage a 7-10 pin."

"So it's a good thing she won. Get ready to pay up, Willa."

"Wait, what? The duel's not over yet! Huh?" Willa glanced at the table. It warmed PaniK's heart to see Willa's fearful expression upon checking the table. "What's going on? How can that card be Mirror Force? She was just about to activate Ring of Magnetism, right? I mean, I even heard her announcement!"

"Nope, it's definitely Mirror Force. Which means your Tri-Horned Dragon's 2750ATK reflects back to your side. But you activated Synchronic Ability in response to the girl, so that attack also has Piercing properties. Lancer Dragonute's 1800DEF means you take 950LP damage. You only have 700LP left, so you lose."

"You're serious? Then why was she putting on the Ring? I'm absolutely certain there should have been Ring of Magnetism in the spot where that Mirror Force is. It makes no sense if the card I sealed was the Ring; it had no use at the time!"

"She probably meant to say Mirror Force. Having seen you both duel, this seemed to be a stressful duel for the two of you, so mistakes happened. But more importantly, as the witness, I guarantee that the cards were untouched."

Willa cringed. He then kicked one of the table legs and swore under his breath.


	14. Bootleg

**CHAPTER 14**

_In his hands were several cards._

_"Rebecca, look at me when I'm talking to you."_

_Rebecca looked away._

_Her grandfather sighed. "I don't know what's gotten into you, but I've repeatedly asked that you not change my deck."_

_She said nothing._

_"Last time, you politely asked and I said no. I understand your sentiments-"_

_He understood nothing. But what was she supposed to do, explain her predicament?_

_"-But I can't accept any change. So now you're trying to smuggle the cards?"_

_If it meant winning, anything goes. She almost had to learn that on a deathbed. Still, Rebecca kept silent._

_"I'm afraid we won't be going to the ANDMT this time. You'll have to find someone else to take your place."_

_"But grandpa! It's just a handful of cards! It's good, but if I could just-"_

_"I'm sorry, but that's final." He shook his head. "I just thought you knew…but until you learn what it means to be a duelist, we won't be attending any other tournaments."_

Months later since that duel with Willa, Rebecca found herself alone in the lounge of the New York City Duel Stadium. Leaning against a wall, she could see several duelists just standing. There were a few familiar faces from last time, but for some reason most people she expected to be here were missing. Save for one, the Card Professors were absent, and there was some sort of rumor going around that large-scale bribery and intimidation had been taking place at the various Qualifiers. However, nothing odd happened at her own Qualifiers, except that the Card Professors were absent there as well. In fact, all of Rebecca's efforts at contacting Carl for an explanation failed.

And what about Bandit Keith? His whereabouts were a mystery since that one match...

Despite all that, it did NOT mean that those who did make it were pushovers. About a dozen or more Rare Hunters were out in force today. Considering that nothing said "shady" quite like a black cloak, several duelists were keeping their distance. So did Rebecca. For whatever reason, none of the officials seemed to care.

Rebecca could only guess, but none of that mattered. What did matter was winning. There would be nothing to fear if she did nothing but win. Nothing but win against a group of dedicated villains. She shuddered.

Her tablet directed Rebecca to a seat, but unlike in the past, the tablet left a blank for the opponent's identity. Tana, who had managed to pass the Qualifiers again, walked past Rebecca with neither eye contact nor word. She found it hard to blame Tana; after all, thanks to forcing that huge debt onto Tana during the last ANDMT, Tana must have needed a miracle to survive.

The Rare Hunters began heading out. Upon realization she was standing near their path, Rebecca hurried into the stage.

Tens of thousands of fans were here screaming again, not to see Bandit Keith, but to see his successor. Not only that, but everyone was eager to see the new Battle Boxes that KaibaCorp developed that promised to use Solid Vision and bring Duel Monsters to life! Rebecca found herself wishing she was here on more pleasant terms to enjoy it all like the last time she participated, not for a battle to the death.

Looking into the audience, she sighed. Only through PaniK was Rebecca even able to get here instead of someone along the way ordering for her return to home. She had left on her own, leaving nothing but a note. No doubt her grandfather would be angry with severe consequences when she returned.

That is, IF she returned. Thoughts of her grandfather realizing she was dead flooded her mind. Rebecca tried to push the thoughts away, her face part scowl and part sad.

Why, WHY did he have to be so stubborn about what cards were in a stupid deck?

She made her way to the designated Battle Box. Hoping it did not become an execution chamber, stepped inside, and then took her seat in one of two chairs around a table.

Hearing footsteps, Rebecca turned around and took an instinctive step back: here was a Rare Hunter.

"Fear's written all over yer face," he said. Although he kept his upper face covered, Rebecca could see a gold nose ring dangling. She guessed the man to be in his early twenties. "But it ain't wrong. Even mice know when they're dead."

"I can beat a stupid brute like you," said Rebecca. "I'm not dying in the first duel."

"Pfft. Missy, did you forget already? Yer up against Rare Hunters. Might die in the first turn or two, I reckon. Imma give you three." The Rare Hunter took a seat and produced a deck from his robe. "Take a seat and learn how the big boys play."

"I can't wait to see how big boys cry; your cards won't stand a chance against mine!"

"Yer cards?" He chuckled again. "One of my cards be worth dozens of yours."

They traded decks. Holding his deck in her hand, she contemplated his comment. What strategies did Rare Hunters play, what sorts of cards did they use? Would there be some crazy-powerful card she needed to fight?

"Whatcha waitin' for? Cut'em and shuffle'em already!" he said. Once she did, they returned the decks. He scratched his chin and grinned. "Truth be told today, though, it's the other way around. One of yer cards be worth dozens of mine."

"Huh?"

"Rare Hunters owe ya a big one, but not so much yer off the hook today. So instead, I'll tell ya somethin' good."

Rebecca could feel her color draining away.

"We're puttin' yer work to gooood use. I got me all sorts'a bootleg cards."

She leaned back in her chair, shook her head, and gulped: his deck, full of counterfeits, a troublesome fight.

That is, until she realized something and perked forward. "But these are KaibaCorp Battle Boxes. How are you going to play fake cards?"

"You blind? Who ya thinks running the show here today? Ain't KaibaCorp, it's us!"

It was such an obvious fact that Rebecca wanted to slap herself.

"Sure, it's gonna register as fake on the systems, but seeing as our guys are in charge, that fact ain't gonna escape. Yer fightin' for life in OUR world."

**DUEL 11**: vs. Rare Hunter

"Yer first move, missy." They drew their cards.

"Skelengel, defense mode. I pass."

A disembodied angel materialized. The only things visible were a halo, sandals, wings, and a rope belt; its gloved hands wielded a golden bow. It looked to be crouching.

The Rare Hunter chuckled and drew a card. "Whatta weak card. Saba' Slasha', attack mode." A blue-armored humanoid robot materialized. One of its coil-like hands was a large, jagged scimitar.

"A machine!? Y-you guys didn't-"

"Got that right. We duplicated and modified that Bandit Keith's deck, made it better, even duplicatin' rare cards. Hahaha, I wish I had a mirror so ya could see that panicked look on yer face! Slasha', swing that sword!"

Saber Slasher charged towards Skelengel. Despite having no visible body, Skelengel cried out, expired, and vanished. The experience almost caused Rebecca to forget Skelengel's effect of drawing a card upon death.

"Yer move."

Rebecca drew another card. "Mystic Tomato, attack mode. It attacks your Slasher."

Materializing was a tomato with a psychopathic expression. It rolled at high speed towards Slasher, but the latter rebuffed the attack with one gory slice.

"Losing yer wits already, are we?"

"I don't think a dumb brute could figure out what's going on. Saber Slasher has only 1450ATK; so if Mystic Tomato attacks, I can get cycle through my deck to summon another one at a low cost."

"Still Shadow Ghoul."

"I set a card and end my turn."

The Rare Hunter drew a card. For a moment, he was about to play one card, but put it back into his hand and summoned something else.

"Mechanicalchaser, attack mode. Murder that Tomato!"

A green bat-like machine whose appendages were made of nothing but weapons materialized. It flew into the air, and dropped itself like a ball from a height with all weapons aimed at her monster.

"Not so fast." Rebecca flipped over her set card. "Axe of Despair adds another 1000ATK to my Tomato."

An Axe materialized, and the Tomato's stem wrapped itself around the weapon like a tentacle. As Mechanicalchaser closed in, the Tomato swung the axe and cleaved the machine in two. Both halves clanged onto the ground and vanished.

"Looks like the attack costs you 550LP," said Rebecca.

"Why not kill the Slasha' with that?"

"Control. I thought you might summon something just a little stronger, but nothing excessive since you'd worry about my set card. And 'a little stronger' is something my Tomato can beat. If you're playing with Keith's deck, then I need to take out every strong monster I can."

"Lucky brat. I set a card and end my turn."

"You're not going to switch the monster into defense mode?"

"Do I need to? Attack 'n find out, then."

"It's like an unsubtle version of what I was doing." Rebecca drew a card and sneered. "But you made a massive error: Keith never, ever plays defensive traps."

The surprise on his face was priceless.

"Cannon Soldier, defense mode." A purple machine with a gun strapped to its back, its limbs nothing but gauntlets, materialized crouching. "The Tomato attacks your Slasher!"

The Tomato turned to its side and rolled to the Slasher while swinging the Axe like a circle saw. Like Mechanicalchaser, one chop cleaved it in two. Slasher staggered and vanished just before hitting the ground, dealing 950LP damage to the Rare Hunter.

"Down to 500LP already? Is this the best you and your cheats can do?" asked Rebecca.

"Damn brat."

"I set a card and end my turn."

He drew a card. "Aha! Pillager; this card killed ya good last time, right?"

She revealed her hand. One of the cards among them was Shadow Ghoul.

"That's yer trump, right? I want that one!"

"I'm sorry, but…" Rebecca flipped over her set card. "I'm using Morphing Jar."

The Rare Hunter's eyes darted to his hand.

Rebecca discarded her hand full of monsters and drew five cards. However, the Rare Hunter did nothing. "What are you waiting for? You screwed up, but that's what happens when an idiot like you plays with someone else's deck."

"M-mast-ter Marik…w-wait…"

That name!

The Rare Hunter screamed. The next moment, his head lolled to the size, but then he stood to attention like a soldier as something golden started shining behind his hood.

"What's going on!?"

The Rare Hunter chuckled.

"Don't act so creepy!"

"I see…" The Rare Hunter took one of the cards in his hand and revealed it Rebecca. Her sudden fear turned into amusement. "This clod had a strong monster like Barrel Dragon and didn't play it earlier. If it was me, I'd have made the bold move."

"Hey, what's with you?" asked Rebecca. "Did you change personality or something? The accent's gone, your voice changed, and you're talking like some ghost possessed you or something. I mean, I know you guys look like cultists, but-"

"I'm sorry, I should have introduced myself. But with your Morphing Jar out, why don't I discard and draw first?"

"Uh, okay. So you're Marik? Does this personality have any brains?"

"Little miss Rebecca, was it? I've heard some interesting things about you recently. To be honest, I'm surprised that you found out Steve coordinated the attack, but even more that you actually figured out a way to get back at us."

"What's your point?"

"You're on a quest for revenge, right? So much that you've agreed to rather difficult terms. But the funny part is that you don't know how pointless it is."

"Pointless? You don't think I can't carry through on my threat when I win?"

"Oh, I have enough confidence that you can, IF you win. But that doesn't matter."

"Huh?"

"I believe the saying 'can't see the forest for trees' is rather apt."

"Then what do you think I'm missing?"

Marik chuckled. "I'M the one who you should be targeting, not some pawn like Steve."

"You?" What a dubious claim he made.

"Hmm…I don't know whether you believe in magic or not, but I invite you to ask my men about whether I'm just a personality or…"

"Or what?"

"Or if I'm just someone borrowing this man."

Rebecca hesitated. "I definitely will. If you're lying, then I'll find out"

Marik smiled. "Excellent. But that all depends on whether or not you can win."

She smiled back. "That won't be a problem for this duel. You only have 500LP!"

He held up a hand, as if holding an orb. "I can't be letting our team make such a weak first impression, can I? let's see if I can't salvage this duel. No doubt you remember downloading the database?"

"Shut up."

"You have my sincere gratitude. That's why-"

Rebecca gasped once Marik revealed the card in his hand and summoned it. A metal beast with three revolvers fixed on its head materialized.

"-I can still summon Barrel Dragon." A second Barrel Dragon. Even Keith had just one copy! "Attack! Two for the Tomato, one for the Soldier."

A metal dragon with three long cannon chambers on each shoulder and head materialized. The cylinders for the chamber then began spinning, and the result?

BANG! BANG! BANG!

"Are you serious? What, did your guys rig this Battle Box too?"

"That would be convenient, but it seems Fate was follows my charisma. That means your monsters died along with 200LP lost from the attacks. I end my turn."

Rebecca drew a card. "I switch Mystic Tomato to defense mode and summon Millennium Shield, defense mode. I pass."

"First, I'll summon Space Megatron, defense mode. Now then, if his memory serves, it seems this guy set a card. I'm going to activate it: Zera Ritual. I sacrifice Barrel Dragon and Space Megatron to summon Zera the Mant!"

A robot made of semi-spheres materialized along with a warrior sitting in a demonic chair. Then, the warrior sucked Barrel Dragon and Space Megatron into his eyes as the space around him turned into a hurricane of violent flames. The bluish skeleton-beast monster that wore a purple cape emerged as the flames died down.

"Zera, attack that Tomato!" One slash turned the vegetable into slices. "Your servant was in defense mode, but Zera can Pierce. That means you take 1700LP damage."

Rebecca felt like her guts were tied into one big knot.

"It seems you'd have been better served just leaving it in attack mode. I'll end my turn."

She lowered her head before drawing, not wanting Marik to see her despair. There was a card in her hand that could solve that Zera problem, but the move would leave her without the Shield. Would waiting it out be a problem? No, a power deck like Keith's would have something like Stop Defense somewhere, and having seen Marik's blatant cheating, it might as well be the next card. With only 50LP to her name, even the slightest scratch was fatal.

"I activate Dark Hole."A black void materialized. Rebecca could feel the suction as it swallowed the Shield and Zera before vanishing shrinking into nothing. "I'll also set a card and summon Shadow Ghoul."

"A second Ghoul?"

Yes, a contraband card that her grandfather refused to include for reasons that eluded Rebecca. "With 11 monsters gone, its power rises to 2700ATK. I end my turn."

A green four-legged demon with red orbs shining like rubies over its body materialized.

"Still going after a position of aggression, I see." Marik drew a card. "That's commendable when on the verge of death, but it's also the wrong move."

"How?"

"Blast Sphere, attack mode. It-"

"I'm activating my set card, Solemn Judgment. I pay a mere 25LP to negate your summoning."

Marik smiled. "A cheap escape. I pass."

Rebecca drew a card and set it. "I'll just pass."

"I too set a card, and summon Slot Machine, defense mode." Marik frowned as the golden two-armed bandit materialized. "Unfortunately, that's all I can do."

What an insignificant machine. Time to take the offensive!

Rebecca drew a card. "I'll att…wait."

"Is something wrong?"

"Yeah something's wrong, but I can't put my finger on it."

He glanced down. "I guess my set card bothers you. Well, by all means, please take your time. It's not going anywhere."

Rebecca did not reply at first. Yes, with 25LP, one mistake would be fatal, but there was nothing to do but move forward. She took another look at his Slot Machine. A level 7 monster with 2300DEF, it was no match for-

Seven!

"Ah!" said Rebecca. Once she took a look at her card, Rebecca's expression turned into triumph. "And I can do this instead!"

"Huh?"

"Isn't it weird?"

"What is?"

"Normally, one wouldn't want to summon a strong monster if you knew it would die so soon. Yet you've summoned a level 7 machine and set a card. Of course it's a trap!"

"But didn't you claim earlier that Keith doesn't use traps for defense? With this deck full of powerhouses, isn't it possible for the Slots to be the weakest machine on hand?"

"No, I think you were trying to capitalize on the second wind I got while feeding me the illusion that I was in control. Now, Keith wouldn't build a deck with defensive traps since he doesn't need them. Instead, he'd want to use cards that increase their power."

"Oh?"

"I'm willing to bet my life that set card is 7 Completed. It HAS to be! With an extra 700DEF, your Slots would have 3000DEF. My Ghoul's attack would bounce back and kill me."

Marik clapped his hands. "I'm impressed you could think of all that. But turn that on its head. This means you've reached a dead end. All I need to do is to wait until I draw another 7 Completed, right?"

"But I can do a little sidestep: Cannon Soldier attack mode. I'll sacrifice my Ghoul so that my Soldier can make a direct attack!"

Cannon Soldier materialized, standing as if ready to grapple. Shadow Ghoul turned into a white ball and loaded itself into the cannon on the Soldier's back. The Soldier adjusted on its own, and then fired the energy at Marik.

He flinched, but recovered and smiled.

"I set a card and pass," said Rebecca. "Just one more hit and I win."

Marik drew a card. "I switch my Slots to attack mode and activate Card Hexative!"

Chains rose from the table and attacked her set cards like snakes.

Rebecca discarded a card "Then I'll stop that with Magic Jammer!"

"It seems I don't have anything else prepared to take out your trap. I power up Slots with the 7 Completed I had set and attack."

"Yeah, too bad my trap," Rebecca flipped it over to reveal, "Mirror Force, is still here."

"Figures."

As the chains clattered to the ground, one of the reels on Slot Machine turned into a 7. The two-armed bandit charged and fired a plasma ball. However, a barrier solidified like ice, and the ball bounced into the Slots, shattering it into pieces.

Excitement welled up inside Rebecca.

"Well done," said Marik. "I guess even I couldn't recover from this idiot's early incompetency. There's no point in prolonging this, so I surrender. Enjoy the respite while you can, you've certainly earned it. I look forward to seeing if fate smiles upon you."

For someone who lost, his face had a content smile. Rebecca's nerves were twisty.

Whatever was shining under the hood stopped glowing, and the Rare Hunter fell out of his chair, hitting the floor like a bag of rocks. What was that about? A couple men came running to her Battle Box as the holograms turned off.

With the adrenaline gone, Rebecca sank back in her chair and heaved a heavy sigh. All that work just to polish off 500LP? This was going to be a long tournament.

As the men stepped in, Rebecca pointed at the fallen Rare Hunter and asked, "Does the name 'Marik' mean anything?"

"This guy? He's nobody." A smile crept over the men's faces as they put the Rare Hunter on his feet and hoisted his arms over their shoulders. "But you should be honored to have Master Marik greet you, in person or not."

His partner spoke. "Well, the guy we're dragging off is an idiot. I suspect Master Marik thought this man's dueling ability was weak and personally intervened."

So this whole bet was a waste of time? Rebecca stared at the table as they dragged the Rare Hunter away.


	15. Black Heart

**CHAPTER 15**

"That was a great duel, Rebecca"

"Thanks." Rebecca took her seat at the dueling table across the boy with freckles, curtained blond hair, and an orange shirt. "I haven't seen you in a while, Sam. Actually, when did you even get here? I don't remember seeing you before the tournament started."

"There were several robed guys like the one you just fought standing around. And with the rumors floating around, I didn't want to draw their attention. Any ideas about who they are?"

"They're another dueling group. You know, like the Card Professors?"

"Who are they, then?"

"Oh!" Rebecca looked away. "I just guessed. They don't look the social bunch."

Sam frowned. "Um…so, how was it? These Battle Boxes are pretty cool, huh?"

For the first time that day, Rebecca grinned. "It's amazing! I'd be able to enjoy this more if I wasn't fighting for my life-" She covered her mouth.

"It's a pretty tough field, isn't it?"

"Y-yeah. He had this cheap Bandit Keith knock-off deck."

He laughed, and Rebecca envied him for being able to do so. "I'm really happy to be fighting here. My last opponent was pretty tough. By the way, you remember Leon, right?"

"Of course. Why?"

"I've kept in touch with him. It seems Europe hasn't seen a Battle Box yet."

"Well that sucks." She giggled. "I bet he's jealous."

"Actually, he's really curious. Supposedly, he says he's heard of something like Solid Vision before, but as a different technology called a Duel Ring or something."

Rebecca blinked. "Duel Ring?"

"I think it's from some obscure company, but he didn't give a name. Leon says it's a lot bigger, bulkier, and expensive, but the holograms were actual size instead of being downscaled."

"Now I'm curious to hear who would try to rival KaibaCorp. If you give me Leon's contact info, I bet I can scare more info out of him."

Sam grinned. "That's why I brought up the topic in the first place."

Rebecca pouted, but let the comment pass.

Someone rapped on the glass wall, so Rebecca turned to see Tana with a malicious smile on her face.

"What do you want?" asked Rebecca.

"I see you have a tough line-up today," said Tana. "Struggling any?"

"Don't you have a Battle Box to be in?"

"Can't an old friend stop by to say hi?" Tana and Sam exchanged gazes, but neither made any comment. Then she walked away.

"What was that about?" asked Rebecca.

"Oh! Uh, hey, didn't you two fight in the last tournament?" asked Sam. "Maybe she's still holding a grudge?"

"Never mind her," said Rebecca. The last person she wanted to think about was Tana. "So you're already fighting at the ANDMT, huh?"

"I'm a little surprised myself."

"You did beat Keith though, didn't you?" On realization of what she just said, Rebecca shuddered.

Sam scratched the back of his head and looked elsewhere. "It was luck. I mean, that was my first day playing Duel Monsters, too. Pegasus even had to write down some tips."

Rebecca forced herself to stop shaking. "But…that paper…"

"Is something wrong?"

"I was one of the few who had a chance to look at it after that duel, remember?"

"What about it?"

"That wasn't…all it was, was a few comments on Keith's deck, how his cards worked, and how Pegasus's own cards worked, normal stuff that someone dueling Keith would know."

"Well, yeah, I never had a chance to fight machine monsters before Keith, and I've never seen Pegasus's deck before, so-"

She stood up and slammed the table. "That's not the point!"

"H-huh?"

Rebecca sat down again, breathing hard. She closed her eyes. No wonder the Rare Hunters fixed Sam to be her next opponent. To defeat Keith, Sam had to have relied on his own ingenuity and wit; the only thing Pegasus did was fill in blanks for some game mechanics and explain some of the cards in his own deck.

Now that Sam had half a year to practice, who knows what he was capable of? Then perhaps she should pull a Tana? Rebecca's pride kept her mouth shut. No way did she want to stoop to that level, but the thought caused her to wince. She almost died once because of that pride, and here she was going to repeat the same mistake?

Rebecca shook her head. Everything would be fine if she won on her own power; asking would have to be a last resort.

"Rebecca?"

"I will definitely win," said Rebecca. "I'm not losing to your beginner's luck!"

**DUEL 12**: vs. Sam

"I'll go first." said Sam. They drew their opening cards. "Did you know? This is the deck Pegasus gave to me after the duel with Keith."

"Just a bunch of trash cards, no doubt."

"Hey!"

"I mean, who would give some random kid a deck full of rare cards?"

"Okay, but it's still an important deck to me," said Sam. Rebecca wanted to snarl as her grandfather flashed through her mind. Any thoughts she had about collusion with Sam were fading in a hurry. "And it's pretty good. Pegasus is a great guy."

"Just shut the hell up and duel. My deck is stronger than a collection of random cards!"

Sam frowned again. "Electric Lizard, attack mode. I pass." A plump purple lizard with a huge mouth full of fangs materialized.

She glared at him and drew a card.

He held up his hands. "Whoa! Chill out."

"I will absolutely make you regret mocking me like that."

"No! I'm not mocking you or anything! Are you sure you're fine?"

"Cannon Soldier, attack mode. It attacks the Lizard!"

The Soldier materialized and fired a shot. At the same time, the Lizard crackled with electricity and lashed out at the Soldier with a lightning bolt. The beam punched a hole through the Lizard, but the Soldier was on a knee, albeit still functioning.

"Your monster can't attack next turn," said Sam.

"I know, but you take 550LP damage. I end my turn."

He drew a card. "I activate Acid Rain to corrode and destroy your monster. And since it had 1400ATK, you'll lose half of that, which is 700LP damage. I end my turn summoning Bean Soldier, attack mode."

Rebecca watched the rain melt her Cannon Soldier until it collapsed on itself. A giant green bean wielding a sword and scowl then materialized.

She drew a card. "For this turn, I'll just set one card and summon Millennium Shield, defense mode." Her shield materialized.

Sam drew a card. "I set one card. And I summon Maha Vailo, attack mode. I pass." A magician robed in blue robes and large jewelry materialized.

Rebecca drew a card. "Mystic Tomato, attack mode. It attacks the Bean Soldier."

The Tomato materialized. Its stem grew out into a thorny tentacle as the Bean charged. The tentacle impaled the Bean, but not before the Bean managed to slash the Tomato.

"They both die from equal attack points, but I'll summon a second Tomato from my deck. I set one card and with that, end my turn."

Sam drew a card. "Then I'll start by activating Warrior Elimination to break the Shield."

"I'll use my set monster, Armed Ninja, to block your card for 300LP. I'll also reset the Ninja for another 300LP."

"You must be worried about my magic cards, huh? I have a set card too: I'm equipping Elf's Light to Maha Vailo for 400ATK. And Maha Vailo's special ability gives it another 500ATK for having an equip card attached."

"I can't let that happen. I use Armed Ninja to destroy Elf's Light, forcing Maha Vailo back to 1550ATK."

"But I'm still attacking. Maha Vailo attacks the Tomato!"

"I have my own equip cards: Ring of Magnetism. Your attack redirects into my Shield!"

Sam grinned. "Unfortunately, I've got a card in my hand that can stop that: Tailor of the Fickle will re-equip that Ring to my Maha Vailo. My card's special ability and the Ring's point deduction cancel out, so there's no change in attack points. My attack proceeds as planned!"

After a couple rounds of bullets, ninjas, and lights bouncing everywhere on the table, Vailo powered up streaks of electricity and fired them into the Tomato. A magnetic Ring materialized around the Shield, but then vanished and rematerialized around Vailo. The attack coursed into the Tomato, which splattered into goo.

"Yes! I end my turn," said Sam.

Rebecca cringed and drew a card after summoning her last Tomato from her deck. That elated expression, his excitement, did he have any idea what his win would do to her? He should be glum right now!

"Calm down, Rebecca, it's just a game," he said.

"Hmph. I summon Witch of the Black Forest and kill her so I can kill YOUR spellcaster with Share the Pain!" Two swords materialized and impaled both spellcasters. They screamed as they crumpled onto the table and vanished.

There's the gloomy expression she wanted!

"That's so cruel," said Sam.

"So? They're just cards; it's not like they're real or anything. If I need a monster to keel over and die so I can win, so be it. Cards are nothing more than tools for victory."

Horrified, Sam said, "Why would you say such a thing!?"

"You act like Pegasus handed you a sack of gold, but except for a few cards, the only things he gave you were trash! You're not a bad duelist, so why haven't you traded your lame cards for something better?"

Sam opened his mouth, but Rebecca interrupted him before he could utter another word. "Let me guess: those cards are a precious keepsake from Pegasus? Pathetic."

"You're pathetic."

"Excuse me?"

One of Sam's hands was clenched, anger on his face. "Pegasus was the reason I'm even able to play Duel Monsters. I was able to play this game; he really made my dream come true!"

"I don't care. The only that matters is whether you win or lose. Even if it's from Pegasus, that deck is worthless if it can't win."

"That's why you lost a whole bunch of life points just now, right? Because my deck was weak? You just lost 900LP from defending yourself with that Armed Ninja, and another 150LP from my last attack. But I didn't even lose one life point!"

"Just shut up. I finish my turn by setting one card and switching Mystic Tomato to defense mode."

Sam drew a card. "Sword Hunter, attack mode.

Rebecca raised an eyebrow.

"If my Hunter kills your monster, he makes it into a trophy and adds 200ATK to its 2450ATK base. Attack!"

"You triggered a trap: Mirror Force!"

A knight wearing many scabbards materialized. With a sword in each hand, the Hunter charged for Rebecca's Tomato. However, the Hunter instead struck a barrier. A visible slice of wind shot back from the barrier, cutting an 'X' through his body. He fell backwards and died.

"I end my turn," he said.

Rebecca drew a card and set it. "I also summon Cannon Soldier, attack mode. I'll sacrifice this useless Tomato to make a direct attack." She smiled and leered at Sam's new anger.

The Cannon Soldier materialized and after turning the Tomato into ammo, fired at Sam. He protected himself with his arms as the Soldier fired its shot.

"I end my turn," said Rebecca. "What's the matter, Sam? Can't keep up?"

Sam drew a card, and his face turned to shock. His hand that held the card was trembling.

Her arrogant expression vanished. "Hey, what's up?"

"You look way too smug for your own good, you know that?" However, Sam added the card to his hand and picked the other card in his hand.

He hesitated and studied Rebecca.

"Why are you looking at me? Don't keep a lady waiting; hurry up!"

Sam shook his head and muttered something. "I summon Zombyra the Dark, attack mode, and attack the Cannon Soldier."

A superhero with skintight blue clothes, a skeleton motif, and a purple cape materialized and rushed her monster. However, an Axe materialized in Cannon Soldier's hand, and after a scuffle, the Cannon Soldier made a decisive chop.

"Sorry, you're 300ATK short once Cannon Soldier has Axe of Despair," said Rebecca.

"I thought so," he muttered.

"Regretting won't change your mistake."

"Could you be any…never mind. I set the card I drew and pass." That emptied his hand!

Rebecca drew a card. "I'll trash my Millennium Shield for another direct attack!"

Lock and load! Soldier again fired. Sam again used his arms to shield himself; the blast pushing him to the back of his seat.

"We're not far apart, are we? With your 350LP, I'm one attack away from winning. I end my turn."

Sam drew a card and stared at it for several seconds.

Rebecca with her entire smug expression was about to ask if he had even drew a monster, that there was no point in drawing out his auto-forfeit if he could not summon anything; however, something about that card gave her the shivers. What if Sam somehow drew the card to turn things around to give him the win? Her expression turned to fear.

Then Rebecca shook her head. What was wrong with her? She was in the superior position. She had a powerful monster that could nail anything he had. She had no need for a miracle from the deck. She, however, clenched her teeth.

"H-hey," she said, "didn't I say before to not keep a lady waiting?"

Sam sighed and returned the card to his deck. "Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry; I can't summon anything. You win."

A relieved Rebecca sighed.


	16. Grudge

**CHAPTER 16**

Rebecca stepped out of the Battle Box as Sam had left with no comment. She noticed that Tana was speaking to Steve in front of the official's table. Her arms were folded, but she was nodding with his words. What were they discussing?

From behind, a familiar voice spoke, "Ah, here you are."

Rebecca turned to see a Rare Hunter lower his hood.

"It looks like you just finished a duel, Rebecca," said Seth. Aside from the cloak, the only thing unusual about his appearance today was a lack of glasses. "I can't wait to see who ends up replacing Keith as the American Champion."

"What do you want?"

"That's a cold way to greet a fellow duelist and colleague! I was hoping the person who did such great work for me would be friendlier."

Rebecca winced at the words "great work for me".

"That kid you beat, wasn't he the boy who beat Keith last year?" he asked.

"Yeah. But I still won."

He chuckled.

"What's so funny?"

"It's just that I still see you have that determination in your eye. By the way, have you ever heard of Exodia the Forbidden One?"

A hot feeling seized her. "Aren't they five cards that guarantee the player an instant win? But I don't think anyone's ever done that in an official duel, let alone collect all the cards."

Set took out a deck from his pocket, drew five cards, and revealed them.

Rebecca gasped. Right Leg of the Forbidden One, Left Leg of the Forbidden One, Right Arm of the Forbidden One, Left Arm of the Forbidden One, and Exodia the Forbidden One, were in Seth's hand. She could feel nothing but hopelessness, like the damned sentenced to Hell.

However, Rebecca wanted to defy that feeling. "But that's only if you draw them! Or do you plan on sneaking them in mid-duel?"

"Oh, don't worry; I was only getting these for Steve. Besides, I have something much more amusing in mind. I've analyzed your games, and although you may be a good duelist, there's a certain chasm someone like you can't cross. We invite you to see it before your trip to the next world."

Before she could retort, someone interrupted.

"Seth!" Rebecca and Seth turned to see Steve walking towards them. The pleased expression on Steve's face was still there and he jerked a thumb at Rebecca. "You won't mind if I delay your fight with her one round, would you?"

"What do you mean?" Seth asked.

"It would give me much satisfaction to have Tana duel her," said Steve. "To have my most active enemy beg me, I think you can understand if we delay your duel one round."

"Huh?" As Seth checked the bracket on his tablet and narrowed his eyes. "Are you that certain Tana won't become a thorn? It'll be your responsibility if something goes wrong, and even though we do control the tournament, isn't changing the bracket suspicious?"

"It's been taken care of; the bracket change was done prior to the tournament. And I'm still Tana's employer, so there's going to be a massive penalty for her to pay if she loses this duel, especially since I told the damn guild to stay away today."

"Then do as you wish." After handing off the Exodia cards, Seth walked away. "But I wish you would've consulted me first."

"You won't mind delaying the inevitable one round, will you?" Steve asked. Rebecca was mute. "I'm glad you understand. Tana went through a lot of trouble to get a rematch. You better not look down on her."

He laughed and walked away.

As Rebecca walked back into her Battle Box, her mind was trying to churn out some way to escape her impending doom. Even if she won against Tana, that mattered little if her loss in the next round was a guarantee. However, Rebecca had no idea what to do; no way would any of the officials lend to her a computer, and she had clue about how the cheating Battle Box worked.

"I'm so pleased to see you," said Tana.

"Same to you," muttered Rebecca.

"I've been really eager to get back at you for what you did to me last time." Hearing nothing, Tana leaned forward and continued. "I heard you're going to challenge Steve?"

"None of your business."

"Well, whatever. Did you know? I specifically requested to be your opponent, so much that I finally decided to suck up my pride and beg Steve to let me fight you. I guess the enemy of my enemy is a friend?"

"Why not just team up with me? If Steve is both our enemies, then-"

"You can't be serious. As if a prideful traitor like you would mean that."

Rebecca's head throbbed, and she closed her eyes until the sensation passed. "So who told you what's going on between Steve and me?"

"Steve's a Card Professor and you know I'm pretty involved with the guild, so that info trickles to me whether he wants it to or not."

Curious about the extent of Tana's knowledge, Rebecca asked, "Do you know who these robed rogues are?"

"No, but if you got yourself mixed up in some kind of bet with Steve, I just know they're related to him. But who cares? I can't wait to shut up a selfish villain like you for good. And when I'm done with you, Steve's next."

"Just try not to embarrass yourself like last time."

**DUEL 13**: vs. Tana II

"I'm going first," said Rebecca. "I'm summoning Sangan, defense mode. I'll pass."

Tana drew a card once Sangan materialized. "That again? Hmph. I'm summoning Blue-Winged Crown, attack mode. Attack the Sangan!"

A bird with a red crown on its head with its body like bluish-white flames materialized. It flew into the air before using its claws to descend and stomp Sangan.

Wearing a proud smile on her face, Tana ended her turn.

Rebecca drew a card after taking Millennium Shield from her deck. "I set one card and summon Millennium Shield, defense mode. I'll pass." The Shield materialized.

Tana shrugged and drew a card. "I skip my attack so Nobleman of Crossout can strike down your Shield."

Rebecca flipped over her set card and discarded a card from her hand. "I use Magic Jammer to cancel that."

"Cute. I set a card and summon Monstrous Bird, attack mode. I pass." A towering bald eagle materialized.

Rebecca drew a card. "Cannon Soldier, attack mode. I set one card and pass."

"You're not doing much, are you?" Tana asked. She drew a card. "And here you're going with such an obvious combo?"

"Like you can do anything about it?"

"Watch me. I activate Rising Air Current to boost my Bird's strength. Turn that monster into scrap!" The Bird swooped towards the Soldier. Rebecca covered her face as Tana smiled. "No response? I thought I'd need this card to topple your defense combo, but there's no point in letting it go to waste here either. I'll add Rush Recklessly to boost the attack."

Rebecca shielded herself against a hostile wind as the Bird head-butted the Soldier. The machine toppled backwards onto the table, creating a clanging sound.

Tana shook her head. "You're down to 200LP in one attack? This isn't the calculated Rebecca I remember. In fact, I'm kind of disappointed. You can't beat Steve if you're dying to something trite like an increase in attack points.

"Shut up!" Rebecca drew a card. The four cards in her hand were nothing but worthless monsters. She flipped the set card. "I'll use Morphing Jar."

They replaced their hands, then Rebecca continued, "I set one card, summon Cannon Soldier, defense mode, and pass." The Soldier materialized crouching as Tana drew a card.

"Should've played defense mode last time; I mean, if you're going to taunt me and invite an attack with all this tension between us, that's a bad time for reverse psychology."

Sulking, Rebecca looked away.

"Whatever. I'll use Nobleman of Extermination to crush the set card, and then I'll attack with my Bird."

The Nobleman materialized and charged forward, with the Bird trailing. A Mirror Force materialized, but this attack was full of déjà vu. Like before, the Bird crashed this Soldier in the same manner after the Nobleman shattered the mirror.

"That ends my turn."

Rebecca drew a card. "I activate Tribute to the Doomed to destroy your Bird. Then I'll summon Shadow Ghoul and attack!"

She discarded a card, and mummy wrappings shot up from the card. The Bird attempted to flee but to no avail, the wrappings dragging in its prey and phased it into the table. Shadow Ghoul materialized, and one swipe later, cut through the Crown's long neck.

"I end my turn. With 2500ATK, you lost 400LP."

"A hit you can't afford." Tana drew a card. "Peacock, attack mode. And not only does it gain power from the Current, I'll also combine Gust Fan for an extra boost. Attack!"

Another blue bird materialized, but this one had large green plumage and a paper fan tied to one of its claws. It spun around, and several feathers launched out, cleaving the Ghoul and 100LP from Rebecca. The same attack next time would be fatal.

"I end my turn."

Her hand, nay, body, shaking, Rebecca drew a card. Having but one other card in her hand limited her options and chances of survival.

Forcing herself to make eye contact with Tana, Rebecca tried a confident voice. "Tana!"

"What?"

"Are you absolutely certain we can't work together? Can't we leave the past alone?"

"Do you always beg for your life when your back is against the wall?"

"No! It's just…why not let me fight Steve for you? I mean, between the two of us, who's the better duelist?"

"Have you looked at our life points recently? You're grasping."

"Wait! What I mean is, the only person I lost to last time was Bandit Keith. Doesn't that maybe count for something? Who do you think has the better chance?"

"I'd say me, because I'd like to think I know my own boss better than anyone."

"Did you know he has Exodia?" Her spirits rose for a moment upon seeing a glimpse of shock on Tana's face.

"I probably shouldn't be surprised, actually. We're Card Professors; access to rare cards is a given. You've seen cards like Zera before, right? And there's a reason everyone nicknamed him 'Seeker' Steve."

Rebecca ran a hand through her hair. Without any idea what to say next, along with Tana not budging, an agreement would never happen.

Tana sighed. "Rebecca, if you're done talking, then go."

"Fine! Skelengel, defense mode. I pass."

Skelengel materialized as Tana drew a card. "My turn. I summon Takuhee, defense mode, and attack again with Peacock."

While a brown bird huddling under its wings materialized, Peacock fired another barrage of feathers. Skelengel tried to escape, but that was like dodging rain.

"I draw a card on its death," said Rebecca.

"Be my guest. I end my turn."

Rebecca drew a card for the start of her turn and grinned. "I activate Heavy Storm to annihilate every magic card on the field. And I'll summon my second Shadow Ghoul."

Tana's eyes widened. "You have a SECOND one?"

"Thanks to Skelengel. And I'm attacking Peacock." Rebecca pointed at Tana. "I'm going to make you regret underestimating me."

"We'll see about that."

But Tana shielded herself as a cyclone started blowing on the field. Both of her birds survived the storm by flying away; however, Rebecca's Ghoul materialized and attacked in the confusion. It leaped into the air, grabbed Peacock, and slammed it into the ground.

"You're down to 600LP," said Rebecca. "All I have to do is poke you one more time, and I win. I bet you don't have a monster left capable of defeating Shadow Ghoul's 2700ATK!"

A grim Tana drew a card and brightened. "About that conversation we just had; I just thought of something interesting."

Rebecca smirked. "I like how you're more open now that I have you on the ropes."

"No, actually, since you just used Heavy Storm, I'm in complete control right now. But first, I summon Faith Bird, attack mode, and switch Takuhee into attack mode." Takuhee took to the air as a long-tailed, bluish-green bird materialized and spread its wings.

"Huh?"

Then Tana revealed the card she drew; Rebecca gritted her teeth to see Two-Pronged Attack. "You're familiar with this card, right?"

"Yeah."

Tana set Two-Pronged Attack. "I pass."

"What are you up to?"

"I want you to attack. I've decided to trust you if you're going to trust me."

"It's so obvious what you're doing!" said Rebecca. "You think I'm falling for that? Since that trap is so blatant, you're going to try and take advantage of me with sweet words?"

Tana shrugged. "Well, we can also continue dueling to an uncertain outcome. But I have a good feeling that in the next few turns, my deck will come through for me."

Rebecca drew a card, her final Cannon Soldier. With this, she could get a direct hit and avoid the trap, but Tana could counterattack and win the next turn. However, with Millennium Shield, Rebecca wondered if she could stall out the duel until she drew Ring of Magnetism, but who knows when that card would show up? It could be next turn, it could be never.

"Goddammit," said Rebecca.

"So what's it gonna be?"

"For someone who's been antagonistic this whole time, it's a sudden change of heart."

"Didn't you hear me say earlier about how much I hate traitors? Why would I become a blatant hypocrite?"

"Revenge can bring out the worst in people."

Tana folded her arms. "Well, you're free to pass. But if you attack here, it'll succeed. This is the only way I'll forgive you for our previous duel."

"I…" Was this how Tana felt when asking for her trust all those months ago, and the fear that one betrayal meant certain doom? "To be honest, I feel like you're telling the truth. But this decision is so hard."

"You can't even trust yourself? That's pretty bad. So you're passing?"

Rebecca stiffened. "I'll do it…I'll attack. My Ghoul attacks Takuhee."


	17. Chasm

**CHAPTER 17**

The holograms disappeared, along with the rest of Tana's life points. Then both girls broke out into a smile, Rebecca even giggling a little. The release was like flying.

"There!" said Rebecca. "You see? I'm not such a horrible jerk after all!"

Tana nodded. "I'm a little relieved, too. I didn't know what you planned on doing."

After collecting their cards, they stepped out to see Steve and Seth approaching.

"I'm surprised, Tana," said Steve. "You've got a whole lot of answering to do."

"I do?" replied Tana. She put her hands on her hips. "I'm not sure I feel like it."

"Well, I'm sure your attitude will change if you enjoy living." Since Tana made no response, Steve continued. "You know people are watching these duels, right? That was the most blatant jobbing I've seen since ever."

"And that's contradicting what everyone knows about the Card Professors…how?"

"You don't think you're inviting a scandal on your friend?"

"I can worry about that later," said Rebecca. "Besides, there's something a bit more urgent I need to take of first."

Steve chuckled. "I suppose that's fair."

"Is that all?" asked Tana.

"Not quite." Steve smiled. "More importantly, you did remember that the duel between you and Rebecca fell under a contract, right? Like last time, I recall a pretty hefty penalty. But you're not getting any second chances."

Tana shook her head. "I think there's something a bit more urgent you ought to be worried about."

The smile on Steve's face vanished. "What do you mean?"

"Shouldn't you be worrying about yourself? Because if you mess up…"

"Me? Lose?"

"I'd bet good money on that."

"Wait a second…"

"That's right. I'm contradicting the guild's bet for today. YOUR bet, with all the money I could find. And once you fail, I reckon that'll be the final straw. You'll be ousted from the guild in shame-"

Rebecca gasped.

"-and that contract will become void."

"But seeing how nobody else is here to support you, they don't seem to have enough confidence to contradict my orders. Even Carl isn't here."

Tana sighed. "Carl did say this was another bad idea, and I even pretended to agree so he could keep calm; none of my friends thought I'd show either. So the only people from the guild in danger today are you and me. Of course, I'm glad to have re-made an ally and friend!"

Ignoring the pat on her shoulder, Rebecca looked at the floor. She felt like a pawn.

"Rebecca?"

"Oh, that's right," said Steve. "Both of you had the same mission today and a lot to lose."

"Huh?"

"Tana, you knew that Rebecca was in a bet against me, but do you know the details?"

"No, I just figured that if she was challenging you, the reason must be something petty like a contract with a rival guild. I just wanted to make her life a little more miserable; at first, anyway. What else could it be?"

Steve laughed. "As usual, you're a complete moron. Rebecca is challenging me…the leader for the USA division of the Rare Hunters."

"What!?"

"If she were to win, my identity would be exposed, and I'd be forced to leave the country. But if I were to win, my men had orders to put Rebecca to a painful death."

Tana turned to Rebecca. "Is he for real?"

Still looking at the floor, she said, "Yeah. Don't ask for the details."

"All the cloaks here are under my employ," said Steve. "Even if you somehow won the entire tournament, Rebecca would be long since dead."

Tana shook Rebecca's shoulders, and the latter looked up to see a concerned face "If what he says is true, then I owe you a huge apology. Even if I did hate you, I'd never want you dead. I shouldn't have even put you through the ordeal on that last turn." She hugged Rebecca.

"You never even put two and two together. Why would I make such a huge bet that depended on my victory yet keep away all the Card Professors? Because I had my own team ready to support me! Why should I risk having you rally our guild to help you when I can just keep them out of the picture?"

"I'm sorry, Tana," said Rebecca. "I should've used that to convince you, but that never occurred to me until now."

"Don't worry about it," said Tana. "From your perspective, all that would've been a tenuous connection to make. You couldn't have known that I'd be up to something crazy again."

"Why am I even here?"

"Huh?"

"I never had to make my bet…" Hacking Industrial Illusions on behalf of the Rare Hunters, risking life and death on the outcome over a bunch of Duel Monster duels, defying her grandfather and making him worry; none of that was necessary. Rebecca could have done nothing but enter the ANDMT, win her way to the top, and end up accomplishing the same thing: the defeat of Steve, but with zero risk. Rebecca almost cried.

"It's not a complete loss, though. We managed to become friends. Would we have bothered trying to trust each other if you had zero risk?"

"I…I guess not."

"Not to mention that the fight probably wouldn't have happened," said Seth, the voice startling Rebecca. "The original bracket had Tana scheduled to duel in the upcoming round the winner between Rebecca and myself. Ergo, I would've defeated Rebecca, then duel Tana."

Rebecca stepped towards Seth and scowled. "You're severely underestimating me."

Seth sneered. "Didn't I tell you before? You might be a good duelist, but there's a certain chasm you can't cross. The fight with Tana means you got to delay your defeat by a round, but this time, there's nowhere to run."

"We'll see about that!"

"Heh." Seth began walking towards a Battle Box. Steve turned to leave as well.

Tana took a deep breath and hugged Rebecca again.

"Tana?"

"Rebecca, whatever happens, you have to trust yourself. The moment you give in to doubt; those guys are dangerous, they can smell fear a mile away. They'll destroy you."

"Are you sure?" Once Tana released her, Rebecca put her hands on her hips and smiled. "I'm not a coward, and I'm tougher than I look."

"I think so too, but it's possible you only decided to trust me because…well…"

"Because my back was against the wall in an uncertain situation?"

"I'm not sure you followed through with an attack because you had absolute confidence that you could trust me. It's possible you only did so with the secondary motivation of guilt. Remember how you hesitated? That you thought I was trustworthy, but wasn't sure?"

"Uh…"

"You can't hesitate."

"You want me to be reckless? Looking at you've been through, it seems like a bad idea."

Tana made an exasperated groan.

"I understand you want to help me, but…"

"Yeah, I know. Good luck, knock'em dead; I'm going for a walk."

**DUEL 14**: vs. Seth

Across the table, one of Seth's arms was folded with an arrogant sneer on his face as he drew his starting hand.

"How does it feel to be fighting your final opponent in this world?" he asked. "I'm looking forward to a quick and easy victory."

"Do I look like the rest of the training dummies you've been dueling?" replied Rebecca.

"The result will be the same."

"So what kind of crazy bootleg cards do you plan on using?"

"I'm hurt." They drew their card. "Burglar, attack mode, I pass."

A sneering rat dressed like a bandit while wielding a huge claw materialized.

"Are you kidding? That monster only has 850ATK!"

"But remember, this IS the deck of a Rare Hunter. I don't need a bunch of silly cards from a database or cheap tricks to defeat you."

Rebecca drew a card. Whether or not he held her in contempt, this was a classic bait-and-switch for a stronger monster. Attack this, and get attacked by something bigger next turn. She deliberated whether to attack with Mystic Tomato.

"Witch of the Black Forest, defense mode. I pass."

Seth drew a card. "King Fog, attack mode. In addition, I'll forfeit my right to attack this turn to set a card…not that I need to attack now, anyway. I'll pass again."

"Another weak monster?"

A fog monster wearing a crown materialized. What was Seth planning?

Drawing a card, Rebecca wanted to halt his plans before it was too late. "Mystic Tomato, attack mode. Strike down the Burglar!"

The Tomato materialized and, after some thrusts and parries between vine and claw, the Tomato's vine managed to gore through Burglar.

"I end my turn," she said. Seth shook his head, the arrogance on his face more pronounced than before. "What the hell is that look on your face?"

"This is like watching an amateur duelist running around in a circle."

"What do you mean?"

"If you wanted to attack because you were worried that I held something in reserve, you should have done so the first turn." Seth tapped his set card. "Instead, you chose to attack after I scheme up something else. You can't beat me with that half-hearted conviction."

"I-"

"And I'll show you why you can't make weak plays like that and expect to survive." He drew a card. "But first, King Fog attacks Mystic Tomato!"

"What!?" Was his set card some sort of powerful aid?

Seth never moved. Instead, King Fog charged forward, but the whips that were the Tomato's vines made several cuts. The fogginess dispersed.

"T-that suicide attack just reduced you to 1050LP!"

"But with a clear field, I can play my trump card. I summon Jigen Bakudan!"

"The hellish time bomber…" Rebecca drew a deep breath. That meant Seth's last attack was to kill off his monster before it became a liability to this new card.

"Now here's how it works: at the end of your second turn, Bakudan will explode. We lose life points equal to the value of our monsters' attack points. Since I only have Bakudan, I'll lose 200LP. But Witch of the Black Forest and Mystic Tomato add up to 2500ATK. You'll die in one blow unless you can do something." He smirked. "And to think, you could have dodged this one-hit kill had you just fought with your Tomato in the first place."

"Shut up! I can just attack your monster and-"

"Sorry, Bakudan has immunity to all monster attacks. You'll need magic and traps if you want to escape certain death."

Rebecca groaned as a red and blue demonic-looking bomb materialized.

She drew a card, added it to her hand, and sighed with relief.

"What're you smiling about?" Seth asked.

"Do you ever wonder why people don't just include a million copies of Bakudan and play it when there are no monsters on their own side of the field?"

"Enlighten me."

"You can't summon a monster with risking death, but the opponent can set things up and move forward. I'll leave you in the dust with my development."

"You think it's that easy?"

"Yeah."

Seth's eyes narrowed. "Try it."

Rebecca took another card from her hand. "Cannon Soldier, attack mode. With this, I can get rid of my monsters, damaging you in the process, and make the explosion non-lethal."

Seth chuckled. "Guess again. Having seen your deck list, I figured that you'd respond this way when confronted with Bakudan"

"Huh?"

"By summoning a monster, you've triggered my trap: Just Desserts!"

Rebecca backed into the back of her chair as an ethereal arm materialized from his card. The arm extended towards her head. She tried to move her head out of the way, but the arm followed her movements. Half a foot away, the hand opened, preparing to clench. Rebecca closed her eyes, as if to hope that would make the abomination leave.

She screamed.

This hand was trying to scrunch her head, and there was so much pressure that Rebecca thought her head would explode, that her flesh and brains would splatter against the Battle Box. It was no wonder her opponents all defended themselves whenever she made direct attacks with Cannon Soldier, this intense sensation of Solid Vision.

The pain subsided, and Rebecca opened her eyes and took deep breaths as the hand released her and retreated.

"W-what was that!?"

"Just Desserts squeezes 500LP for each monster on your side of the field. It's such a powerful direct hit and the trigger almost impossible to defend against, I daresay it's stronger than Defense Paralysis."

Rebecca lashed back, "Why don't you feel some of that pain yourself? I sacrifice Witch to make a direct attack with my Soldier!"

Seth stretched out his arms and grunted as the attack struck his chest.

"I end my turn after taking Shadow Ghoul from my deck," said Rebecca. "You're not the only one who can inflict direct damage!"

"But I just need to summon a decent monster and finish off the rest of your 500LP; two monsters with only 1400ATK are nothing to fear."

He had a good point! Rebecca gritted her teeth and prayed he would fail to draw his game-winner.

Seth drew a card. There was no way he could draw the monster he needed, not now!

His eyes lit up and he grinned.

Rebecca's eyes widened and her mouth was half-open.

"Lucky you," he said. "I missed."

She exhaled. "D-don't screw around like that, you jerk!"

"But even if I missed, your monsters are still stuck on the field. I'll blast them off the field with Bakudan soon enough. I'll pass this turn after setting the card I drew."

One turn to detonation!

Her breathing shallow, Rebecca drew a card: Dark Hole. She sighed, knowing this turn was not her last.

More important was whether to attack with Cannon Soldier. Dark Hole was a magic card, meaning Cannon Soldier would withstand the destruction, but to attack here was to leave an opening for Seth to summon something powerful and attack. Perhaps she should switch Cannon Soldier to defense mode…?

Rebecca shook her head. His deck had a focus on dealing direct damage, and Seth likely had multiple weak monsters in the event Jigen Bakudan arrived. This implied that he had few, if any, strong monsters. Above all, the worst thing would be to let Seth draw his damage-dealing cards, and there might not be another opportunity to score a direct hit.

"I'll sacrifice Mystic Tomato to make another direct attack," she said. Seth weathered this blast the same way as last time. "I've cut you down to 250LP."

"It's a pity you're 50LP short of me not caring, so long as Bakudan can explode without causing a draw."

"But I've got a way to deal with that; I'm activating Dark Hole-"

"You wish. I'll use my De-Spell to-"

"I knew you'd have something like that." She whipped out a card. "I have De-Spell, too."

Seth pounded the table and swore "Every damn time!" as a black void materialized. Her Soldier stood steadfast, but the void had sucked in Jigen Bakudan.

Hoping to deter an attack, she said, "I summon Shadow Ghoul, attack mode, and pass."

"A premature summoning, it seems, a mere 1800ATK." Seth drew a card and swore again. "Had I known you had a De-Spell, I'd have just kept my own copy in my hand."

She smirked. "Hindsight is a bitch."

"Count your lucky stars. Muka Muka, attack mode. I'm taking out your Soldier."

Rebecca gasped as the...thing...materialized. It looked like some sort of spider or insect, with red eyes, a green body, pointed legs, and pincers; the monster reminded Rebecca of something she had seen in a horror movie. Several long tubes protruded from its head and attached themselves to the cards in Seth's hand.

"For every card in my hand, Muka takes 300ATK. Add it all up with its 600ATK base, Muka has 1800ATK. Attack the Cannon Soldier!"

Muka crawled forward, and then leapt onto the Soldier. With its pincers and pointed legs, it managed to gore multiple deep holes. As Muka jumped off, Cannon Soldier sank to its knees and powered down, leaving Rebecca with 100LP.

"Shadow Ghoul takes an additional 100ATK," said Rebecca. "I'll take care of that disgusting creature on my next turn."

Seth hesitated. He rubbed his chin and stared at his deck for a few moments.

"What's wrong? Too scared to end your turn?"

"I could be asking you the same thing. I set one card and end my turn."

"Huh?"

"It's your turn."

"Shut up! Don't you realize what you just did? Muka Muka's strength falls to 1500ATK. If Shadow Ghoul attacks, I'll wipe out your life points!"

"Then attack me. I'm waiting."

What was going on? Why would Seth set a card and endanger himself? She took a look at his face: there was no doubt he was concerned about something, but Rebecca was unsure as to what that reason was, except that it related to his set card.

Rebecca closed her eyes and prayed to draw something like Cannon Soldier or Heavy Storm. None of her worries would matter if she had the right card, right now.

Her deck had to give her this much if it wanted to save her, if these cards had a heart.

When Rebecca opened her eyes, the card was the heart-stopping Stop Defense, which at the moment was worth trash. She cursed her useless deck, but her hands trembled as she added the card to the hand. The only thing to do now was consider whether to cross the chasm's rickety bridge or wait for something better.

"Looks like you missed," said Seth. "That's a shame."

She looked at his face, and his features relaxed. He must have been worried that she would do something to his set card.

Rebecca took in a deep breath and tried to reason through her options.

Whatever card Seth just set had an excellent chance of being a defensive trap. He must have been concerned that she would draw something like Axe of Despair; otherwise, why put himself in danger of a fatal attack by setting a card? The worst thing would be something that fiddled with attack points; with only 100LP on her part, anything that increased Muka Muka's attack or decreased Shadow Ghoul's attack invited calamity, and there were countless traps like Mirror Wall that could halve the attacker's points. If this was true, then Seth might be trying to trick her into attacking.

However, would a deck like that, with cards like Jigen Bakudan and Just Desserts, have any place for stat-changing cards? Doubtful, but Rebecca knew nothing else except for the four turns she spent against Seth's deck. Who knows what other strategies he had?

Maybe it was a semi-bluff or something harmless like Gravity Bind, or maybe something more threatening but less damaging, like Mirror Force. In these cases, an attack was warranted, and if it was only of these kinds of outcome, she would still be safe for the moment. If it was an outright bluff, her attack would clinch the game.

What about not attacking? Rebecca's gut feeling kept telling her that this would be one of the worst options. That set card would not go away until she drew something to dispose of it, and by then she could be dead from one of his other cards. Yet with her life and everything on the line, would it not be more prudent to delay a turn or two and increase her options? If Seth's card really was a stat-changer, the correct move would be to wait. No matter how bad the situation could become, attacking if the card guaranteed his victory was just asking to die.

However, she had already reasoned that his card was unlikely to be a stat-changer, but that meant entrusting her life to an improvised read on a deck of which her information was sparse. And had Seth not already had some time to study her weaknesses? Maybe he thought this far ahead and knew what she was thinking; Rare Hunters were Duel Monsters pros, anyway, right? He had shown his capabilities when she triggered his Just Desserts. Maybe they knew she'd try to reason things out like this and hope for hasty assumptions…

Tana asked Rebecca to trust her reads, but her words seemed like a distant memory. Theory and gut instincts were nice, but the wrong decision could send them to Hell. The safest route is to wait just a turn or two and see what developed. After all, Seth's direct damage tactics so far gave advance warning. Only a fool would rush into something this weighty.

Waiting one more turn was the best move, right? But Tana would charge in.

Rebecca's head fell into her hands.

"What's the matter, Rebecca?" Seth asked. "I thought you'd attack?"

* * *

Seth smiled. He knew otherwise. That little brat must be drowning in her thoughts. If this had been an ordinary duel, Rebecca might consider attacking, but with the stakes this high, her weaker side would emerge. He had analyzed her past fights; Rebecca had a tendency to back down against major threats to her person, like Keith's defamation challenge during the last ANDMT. Did she think the Rare Hunters would fail to notice her cowardice?

Just say it! Pass! Die! End your turn…end your life!

Seth's current set card was Mask of Darkness, which would retrieve Just Desserts. Besides, with the Rare Hunter special ink and these special x-ray glasses, he knew that the next card in the deck was Cyber Jar. During his next turn, Seth planned to retrieve his trap, and then set Cyber Jar. Before Rebecca could so much as draw a card, Cyber Jar would activate and force her to summon a new monster, thus forcing the trap to trigger, a surprise kill!

It was, of course, possible for Seth to hold on to the Mask and not let Rebecca have an opportunity to kill him without some sort of support. However, she did have enough troublesome cards that could win her the game if he gave her the comfort to attack.

Rebecca's personality, however, opened a new door. By setting a card and stirring her worrying, even if she had a stat-booster, those cards still cannot help without the will to attack. Her odds of getting lucky and not requiring risk to win were now at their lowest. In fact, his deck should even have conditioned her to believe that damage will come only after advance warning. Finally, there was little threat pressuring her to take action this turn.

Therefore, with everything in consideration, Rebecca may want to attack, and she would win with it, but her tendencies will tell her to pass. Victory was nothing but certain.

"Rebecca, if you're not planning on doing anything else, I can assume it's my turn."

Rebecca took a deep breath.

"Rebecca?"

"Right now, I believe it's safe to attack."

Seth shrugged. Of course she would think that.

"But that isn't anything more than a guess." She closed her eyes and covered them with a hand. "If I make the wrong decision, then I don't want to lose because I didn't trust myself.

Seth froze, as if buried in ice. This had to be a jump scare, right?

"Shadow Ghoul, attack!"

"Urgh!"


	18. Shutdown

**CHAPTER 18**

Hoping that was a sign for the best, Rebecca dared to peer through the space between her fingers. Seth made no move for his set card. Shadow Ghoul jumped in the air and slashed through the tubes before impaling Muka Muka.

"I won?" Rebecca sighed and leaned back in her chair. "I can't believe it."

After swatting his deck off the table, Seth left without another word. Watching him exit, Rebecca noticed that Tana and Steve had returned, with a smile and frown, respectively. Rebecca gathered her cards and left the Box to meet Tana.

She greeted Rebecca with a quick hug. "You did it, didn't you?"

"I won!" said Rebecca. "And thank you."

"Huh?"

"That duel, you were right. I don't think I could have done that if you didn't leave me with those parting words."

"No problem." Tana patted Rebecca's back. "Just one more…"

"Yeah, I can see the light at the end of the godforsaken tunnel."

Rebecca heard Steve and Seth arguing about something, so both she and Tana turned to watch them.

"I can't believe you underestimated her that badly!" said Steve.

Seth shook his head. "How was I supposed to know she'd exceed my expectations!?"

"Do you know how mad Master Marik will be if she wins? This isn't about knocking down a couple girls. Everything depends on my win!"

"Okay, okay. Let's calm down and re-evaluate our situation."

Seth whispered something in Steve's head, and the latter nodded. Steve turned and walked over to Rebecca and Tana, clapping.

"Hey, Rebecca," said Steve. "You have my congratulations."

Rebecca narrowed her eyes.

"I honestly didn't think you could make it this far. I'm impressed, really; in fact, I'd like to try my hand at negotiating."

"Negotiation?"

"Don't listen to a word he says, Rebecca!" said Tana. "He's just scared of danger."

"But I can make it worth your while," said Steve. "Wouldn't you rather get out alive? It would be quite easy for me to cancel the bet we have going."

"And so you want me to throw the match?" asked Rebecca. "What makes you think I'd ever trust you guys after that stunt you tried to pull on me back at Industrial Illusions?"

"Didn't you get here with the help with PaniK?" he asked. "With a third party like him, I'm sure you'll have no problem returning home safe if he hears from both of us."

"But I don't plan on betraying Tana. Besides, I've risked so much every time I dueled up to now, what's one final battle to the death?"

Steve sneered. "You've pushed your luck an awful lot today. Rushing into an unnecessary fight, don't tell me Tana is rubbing off on you? And if revenge is your ultimate goal, I'm sure there are plenty of other opportunities to get it.

"This is as good of an opportunity as any. I'm not letting a villain like you escape."

"I know you're young," said Seth, "but you're being irrational. You just struggled a lot in that last duel. There's no guarantee you'll succeed next time, especially since I've shown you that Exodia is on our side. I mean, unless you actually HAVE a Blue-Eyes White Dragon, there's no reason to go after you aside from a petty grudge. And even if you were telling the truth, since we're just acting on the assumption you were lying, this is the perfect chance to get away."

"Hmph." Rebecca folded her arms.

"Are you really willing to risk death just to pursue a grudge?"

"Besides," said Steve, "You already betrayed Tana once before. It can't be that hard to do it again, right? Why stay on a sinking ship? You'll never have to see her again after this is all over and settled anyway."

Rebecca glanced at Tana, whose face was expressionless.

"I've said it a dozen times," said Rebecca, "you guys need to stop looking down on me. Don't put me on the same level as a bunch of scumbags like you Rare Hunters. I'm not letting you jerks get away and I'm not going to betray anyone."

She smiled as she felt Tana patting her shoulder.

Seth frowned and Steve growled.

"I could say the same," said Steve. "Rebecca, you're up against the Rare Hunters. We're an elite band of cheaters and thieves. You should've been grateful for a chance to escape; I'm not scared of you. All I wanted to do was accomplish my mission today with little hassle, but if I need to get my hands dirty, I'll have no trouble sending you to Hell."

**DUEL 15**: vs. Steve

The duel of ruin was in hand at last as they drew their starting cards.

"I guess I'm going first," said Steve. "Illusionist Faceless Mage, defense mode. I pass."

A three-headed doll-faced humanoid wearing bright, colorful clothing materialized. First turn in and Steve already prepared a nice defensive wall. Was he planning on just sitting and waiting for Exodia?

Rebecca as she drew a card. No way was she going to let that happen.

"Shadow Ghoul, attack mode. Since this is demon vs. illusionist, Shadow Ghoul gains a x1.5 type bonus."

Her Ghoul materialized and attacked. The Illusionist's magic failed to do anything, and so all the mage's heads fell off.

"I'll set a card and end my turn."

Steve drew a card. "You walked straight into a trap."

"How was that a trap!?"

"The best traps are always the most disguised. First, Giant Soldier of Stone, attack mode. Then, I'll activate Shield & Sword to flip-flop stats. I'm taking out one of your Ghouls right here, right now."

A boulder carved like a soldier materialized. With such high DEF, if Steve converted those to ATK and forced her Ghoul to attack with its DEF, he would inflict major damage.

"But before you attack," said Rebecca, "I'll counter your magic by discarding a card to activate Magic. And since it's a monster I'm discarding, my Ghoul gets another 100ATK."

"Fascinating. In that case, I'll just forfeit my right to attack this turn and set this card. With that, I pass."

Rebecca drew a card. The second turn and he was already declaring traps. Was it Stop Defense? Just Desserts? Or something even worse?

"That's not going to stop me," she said. "My Ghoul attacks your Stone Soldier!"

The Ghoul fired a bunch of lasers from the little red orbs dotting its body; the Stone Soldier crumbled, causing Steve to suffer 400LP damage. He flipped over a set card.

"By dealing damage to my life points in battle, my trap activates: Attack and Receive. You take 700LP damage."

Rebecca gritted her teeth and clenched one of her hands. "I end my turn."

Steve drew a card and chuckled. "I again forfeit my right to attack this turn and set one card. Then, Skelengel, defense mode. I pass."

Skelengel materialized as Rebecca drew a card. Was it the same trap? He would have played a monster in attack mode if that was so, right? Then it had to be something else. Scarier, however, was his choice of monster. Skelengel was great for drawing cards and biding time..

"I activate Stop Defense," she said. If this deck was Exodia, the best move was to apply pressure. "My Ghoul attacks Skelengel."

Skelengel tried to flee, but her Ghoul caught up and tore the little angel into little pieces.

Steve flipped his set card again. "I didn't expect you to trigger this so soon, but it's another Attack and Receive. Looks like we both take 700LP damage this turn. And since you also killed Skelengel, I can draw a card."

Her breathing slowed. "I end my turn."

"One more reckless attack and it's over," said Steve. He drew a card, and then smiled at his draw. "Oh? Graceful Charity? I'll be happy to exchange some cards."

After drawing and discarding, he said, "Again, I forfeit my right to attack and set a card."

Rebecca held her breath. With only 600LP, summoning a new monster was risky if it was Just Desserts, which would deal 1000LP damage. If it was the third Attack and Receive, an attack weaker than 900LP damage would leave him alive to flip over the trap.

"And finally, Skelengel, defense mode. I end my turn."

Rebecca drew a card. Despite all that drawing, his hand now held just two cards. Was her judgment wrong? Would an Exodia deck be this proactive in attacking and spending resources? Her impression of his deck was fading. Was his strategy nothing but defend-and-respond? Did Seth reveal Exodia to feed her misinformation, and his real deck was something else?

Rebecca drew a card. Too scared to summon another monster, she instead said, "My Ghoul attacks Skelengel."

In the same manner as last time, the Ghoul demolished Skelengel, but the attack failed to change Steve's pleased expression.

"Then I'll draw another card."

"I end my turn."

Steve drew another card. "Excellent. Again, I can exchange part of my hand with Graceful Charity. This time, I summon Prevent Rat, defense mode, and pass."

A curled blue-haired rat with green skin materialized.

Rebecca drew a card…and stifled her gasp. It just occurred to her that his deck in all likelihood would have the maximum three copies of Shield & Sword. Her Ghoul had a mere 1300DEF. If Steve managed another combo with one of his 2000DEF monsters and S & S, that would be 700LP damage if he made a successful attack against the Ghoul. That damage was enough to kill her and Rebecca realized that she had overlooked that possibility!

She took a look at her new card: Morphing Jar. Had Steve not declared his set card and imply something like Just Desserts, which could still hit her if she set the Jar and flip-summoned, this would have been a great moment to eliminate potential Exodia pieces. With all the drawing and exchanging he did, there was no way he lacked a piece; that is, IF his deck was Exodia. In addition, if her assumption about his deck was wrong, then all that would do was increase the odds of handing Steve another copy of S & S. Already, he had drawn almost half his deck, yet he never played a second copy.

Morphing Jar was way too risky.

Sitting in a chair several few feet away from the Battle Box, Tana watched Rebecca stare at the cards as if shell-shocked.

"I…switch my Ghoul to defense mode," said Rebecca. "And pass."

No! That only reduced the pressure on Steve! Besides, since he lacked the card last, Rebecca had great odds to fade it this turn too.

Her game and confidence were grinding to a halt!

Steve drew a card. "Then, next is Castle of Dark Illusions, defense mode. I'll pass."

As the Castle materialized and the darkness spread, Tana's mind flashed to the fear she had during her duel with Braiden. If Rebecca was paralyzed before, then if she was thrown into the Castle's darkness, she would die of fear long before the Rare Hunters did anything else!

Rebecca drew a card, her arm shaking. What was it? She had to do something. Her hand held 7 cards, but if players could only hold 6 at the end of the turn, then Rebecca had to play something now or discard something. No way would she let this turn pass, too.

"I discard a card and pass. It's a monster, so Shadow Ghoul gets another 100ATK."

C'mon! Tana stood up and walked towards the Battle Box.

Steve drew a card. After half a minute passed, he ended his turn.

Sighing, Rebecca drew a card and said, "Again, I'll-"

"NO! STOP IT!" Tana ran towards the Box. "Don't do that, Rebecca!"

"Huh?" Rebecca turned her head towards Tana.

A couple officials shouted, "Hey! Get away from there!"

She ignored them and pressed her hands against the Box.

"This isn't the Rebecca I know!" said Tana. "What happened to the brave Rebecca from that last duel? With a full hand, why aren't doing anything!?"

"What would someone gullible like you know?" snapped Rebecca.

"Enough that you'll die in the most undignified way possible if you don't do something! Now that it's come to this, you have to take some sort of risk!"

"That's right," said Steve, "You keep encouraging her. All I need from her is one final, self-defeating, Tana-style reckless move."

"You shut up!" said Tana. "Rebecca, isn't this the same as giving your opponent a bunch of free moves in Chess? It's seven turns in and you've only played three cards while he's halfway through his deck!"

Tana was about to add more when several hands grabbed her arms and shoulders. "What the-" She turned to see two officials.

"Giving help is illegal," said one of the officials. "I told you to stay away. I don't care if this is the final match live, we're escorting you away."

The second official nodded, "Don't forget, you're playing in the world of the Rare Hunters. A few more words like those and we can disqualify that girl on the spot."

"Just take her away," said Steve. "I liked Tana's advice, to be honest."

"Sir."

Tana cringed as the guards wrenched her arms into theirs and started dragging her away by the heels. With one more look, she hoped to plead with Rebecca.

Rebecca's mouth opened, as if she wanted to object with the men. Then she closed her mouth, nodded to Tana, and returned to face Steve.

"I switch Shadow Ghoul to attack mode and equip Axe of Despair. Then, I'll attack Castle of Dark Illusions!"

Tana smiled.

With magic enhanced by the Axe, the Ghoul attacked with a bunch of red lasers. As the Castle crumbled, Steve frowned. He had hoped that she would ignore Tana, but Rebecca seemed to have taken the advice to heart. No worries, though. Rebecca still had to deal with his set card.

The darkness receded.

"What the hell?" she asked. "Goddamn bastard, you didn't actually play anything last turn? Then what were those sounds I heard of cards hitting the table?"

"Just a little prank."

"That's all you have to say? Do you know how scared I was to make that attack?"

"It's not like there's a rule against it or anything. Now, are you going to summon a monster?" He saw her glance at the set card. "You can do that, you know."

"I'll just pass for now."

Steve drew his next card. "I give up my right to attack this turn so I can set this. I pass." Like the other Rare Hunters, he too could see his next card: Shield & Sword.

Rebecca stared at the new card. "Interesting," she said.

"Huh?"

"I get it now. You took Seth's advice and built a deck of intimidation."

"So you're saying my cards are a bluff? They're still powerful traps."

"But it might not be the one that kills me. And before I draw, I want to do this." Rebecca flipped over Morphing Jar. She glanced at his face, her face fearing the worst.

Steve's own eyes widened. This girl had taken yet another bold move, but this…

"You triggered my trap," he said.

She held her breath.

"Tch. I'll use Ceasefire to cancel that flip-summon and deal you 500LP damage."

Rebecca exhaled and drew a card.

"I don't think you can be relieved with only 100LP. I just need to hit you with anything, and I win. You've been brash, but once I score a hit, you die."

"I plan to beat you no matter the risk." Rebecca set the card she drew. "And now I know for sure you have Exodia, or else you wouldn't bother with a card like Ceasefire."

"Even if you're right, you're powerless to stop me."

"We'll see about that. But for now, my Ghoul attacks your Rat." A slash felled his monster. "I set a card and end my turn."

* * *

Steve drew his S & S. He checked his deck; the next card was the fourth Exodia piece. In hand were Island Turtle, Aqua Madoor, and three Exodia pieces. On the other side, Rebecca kept her Ghoul in attack mode but set a card. It was possible for him to play defense for a bit longer, but now she was fighting with an uncompromising determination to attack that disregarded his counterstrategies. If she maintained that, Rebecca would kill all his walls, forcing him to miss out on the S & S combo AND make him give up on Exodia.

Therefore, that meant attacking now, even if she laid a trap. Boss her around a bit and get her back to the defensive so he could draw in peace! How about something tricky?

"I activate Shield & Sword." He watched to see whether she could negate his magic. Would she force him into defensive mode? However, her face did not so much as change, and her Ghoul fell to 1300ATK for this turn. "I summon Island Turtle and attack the Ghoul!"

A massive turtle with a forest growing on its back materialized and spewed water.

This time, Rebecca replied. "I use Mirror Force to deflect your attack."

The stream of water bounced back and destroyed his Turtle.

"I won't let you trigger your own traps!"

That defiant little…! "Hmph. I end my turn."

Rebecca drew a card and seemed lost in thought for several seconds before adding it to her hand. "Cannon Soldier, defense mode. I pass."

Steve drew his Exodia piece and found himself at a crossroads. The next card in his deck was the final S & S. There was a strong chance Rebecca would attack with Cannon Soldier next turn, but she kept the Ghoul in attack mode. She must be keen to deter an attack while making preparations, else why risk him drawing something like that S & S? Rebecca must be willing to gamble on his low odds that he would get the last copy. Well, that was fine. Just by waiting one turn, he could get in a sneak attack with Island Turtle. However, the only other cards in hand were Exodia pieces. That meant summoning an Exodia limb now, giving up on the instant win,

The other road was to hope he could assemble Exodia. That could have been feasible, since his own set card, Attack and Receive, should make her reconsider attacking with Cannon Soldier. However, by leaving that Ghoul in attack mode, Rebecca has also made clear her will to kill anything he set up in defense mode. So if she attacked Island Turtle next turn, then he would HAVE to summon an Exodia piece. That meant waiting for another high-defense monster while wasting limbs and losing time, time that could give Rebecca the means to clear his set card and the opportunity for an easy win! In short, that meant his next card needed to be the last piece.

The decision was obvious; only a fool would do such a thing like trusting his cards to come through for him!

"What's taking you so damn long?" asked Rebecca.

"This is a life-changing duel. Of course I'll slow down and think this through."

"Maybe I should get a clock."

"Left Leg of the Forbidden One, defense mode. I'll pass with that."

Rebecca smirked. "I finally, finally forced you to summon an Exodia limb."

"I don't need Exodia to beat you."

She drew a card and sighed. "I made it."

"Made what?"

"But first, I activate Heavy Storm!" A tornado struck his set card and blew away her Axe.

He flinched. "But that's not enough to stop me!"

"Then, I switch Cannon Soldier to attack mode and summon Sangan. I'll use Sangan as ammo to gun you down."

Cannon Soldier fired, and Steve defended.

"Finally, I'll set the card I drew and end my turn."

"Hmph…Huh?" Steve drew his S &S and trembled upon realization of the next card: the final piece of Exodia! THE most horrible possible draw!

That brat! Because Rebecca left that Ghoul in goddamned attack mode, she induced him to give up the chase for Exodia! His perfect victory, shattered!

He could have won had she not brought this pressure!

Even worse, that stupid Exodia piece left Steve with nothing besides the Shield & Sword and Aqua Madoor in his hand. This meant that Cannon Soldier could fire twice and finish him

Steve started to sweat.

"Glad to see something's wrong," said Rebecca. "So, are you passing?"

"I still have one last shot! Aqua Madoor, attack mode. Then I'll use Shield & Sw-"

"Hold it!" She flipped over her set card. "De-Spell cancels your magic."

Steve let the cards fall from his hand. The only thing left was to watch his Madoor and the rest of his life points die as Rebecca attacked.

A familiar voice whispered in Steve's head, "I'm disappointed in your handling of today's affairs. I thought you said this was no problem?"

Oh no. "M-master Marik?"

"Don't worry. It's not your fault; I merely overestimated your ability."

To Steve, keeping his thoughts shut seemed best. "What do you plan on doing?"

"It's obvious you won't be able to stay in America. I'll have to relocate you. Perhaps…ah, I know. Instead of managing underlings, why not help fight on the front lines? I think you'd find it more exciting than planning all the drudgery of leadership."

"Well, um, I'm sure you're right!" Considering how big his failure was, becoming a grunt was much better than mental oblivion. "Your kindness knows no bounds."

"I'll even modify your memory a bit."

"Wait, no-"

"I don't think you'd be at your peak with this setback weighing you down."

Before Steve could protest, his mind and thoughts fell into darkness.

* * *

Rebecca watched as a few men carried Steve away. She had wondered what closure was like, and her answer was that she felt no different than before, aside from the huge relief of surviving today's ordeal.

Was it worth it? Would she repeat it? Sure, but for reasons different than revenge.

Her mind drifted towards her grandfather, and Rebecca felt ashamed. What would he do if she had failed to return after their nasty argument and someone had to tell him the Rare Hunters killed his granddaughter?

Whatever he planned on doing once she returned, Rebecca decided she would be happy to accept whatever punishment he planned. The important thing was that she was alive and they would be united again.

"Rebecca! Rebecca!" Tana shouted. She ran in waving.

"Tana?"

"You did it!" Time for another Tana hug! "We won, we're done, and we managed to get rid of Steve. I'm so thankful for all you've done."

Rebecca began peeling herself off Tana. "It's no problem."

"Now I can be all happy-go-lucky again, and you can continue being a stuck-up brat."

"Who are you calling a stuck-up brat?"

"You just won the ANDMT, remember? American Duel Monsters Champion? You're definitely the kind of person who'll this go to her head."

"After these life-and-death struggles, I sort of forgot about that part." Rebecca giggled. "But I did win this, didn't I?"

Tana released Rebecca and pointed to the chaotic official's table. Rare Hunters and tournament officials were arguing with each other

Rebecca grinned. "It looks like today's fiasco is someone else's problem."


	19. EXTRA: Heart of the Cards

**EXTRA I**

The Muto's home was supposed to be the Kame Game Shop. Turning a corner in Domino City, she could see the fuzzy image of a small building with the word "Kame" on top. Rebecca rubbed her eyes. Was her vision getting worse? But this had to be the address.

She walked inside.

Inside was a typical hobby shop, and three people were on the counter talking. One of them had a ridiculous spiky hairstyle of black, purple, and yellow; he must be Yugi, that champion of Pegasus's Duelist Kingdom tournament. Short, he wore a blue school uniform, a golden puzzle pendant, and had purple eyes. There was another person with the same uniform but twice his size, a lanky stupid-looking blond.

Most important, however, was the old man with gray hair but spiky like Yugi's. Did that hair run in the family? Rebecca shook her head. What weirdoes.

They turned to watch her walk up to the counter.

"Are you Suguroku Muto?" she asked.

"Me? Yes, I am," said Suguroku. "Can I help you?"

Rebecca held out her palm.

"Give it back to me." The two boys stared at Rebecca. She almost decided not to blame them, though. A young foreigner girl that speaks their language walking up to the counter and demands something out of the blue is not an ordinary sight.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"I'm talking about the Blue-Eyes that you stole from my grandfather!"

"Stole? Wait, you've got it-"

"NO!" she shouted. "Make things easy for once. I'm not interested in your lies!"

"Hey gramps, d'you know this girl?" asked the blond. "Looks like an American to me. Acts like one, too."

"Pardon me," said Yugi, "but you never introduced yourself."

"Oh. I'm Rebecca."

"Rebecca?" asked the blond guy. "Hawkins? I think I might've heard that name somewhere."

"For God's sake you dumbass, I'm the American Champion of Duel Monsters!"

"So what?"

She slapped her forehead. Of course the blond guy was stupid.

"That doesn't give you any right to boss gramps around like that." He jerked his thumb to himself and grinned. "Besides, I've taken down an American Champion too."

"What?"

"Ever heard of Bandit Keith?" he asked. Rebecca scowled. "I took him down!"

"Are you Jonouchi? An idiot like you took down THE Bandit Keith?"

"I see you've heard of me," said Jonouchi. He beat his chest. "That American Champ title or whatever is nothing special."

Rebecca clenched her fist as her expression reverted into anger. Forget the Blue-Eyes for a moment, this guy needed to shut up.

"That was luck," she said. "Keith must've been half-asleep."

"Whaddya mean?" he asked. Rebecca wanted to punch him.

"When I fought him, I failed to take off a single life point. So if I couldn't beat him, and I'm the American Champion, then there's no way some moron like you had the skills to win!"

"Oi, that guy was clearly giving it everything he had, and I was too." Jonouchi took a deck out of his pocket and grinned. "You keep prancing about this Blue-Eyes White Dragon. If you brought your deck, maybe we oughtta duel. Beating up arrogant American Champs is nothing new to me."

Rebecca stamped the floor. "I refuse to acknowledge that you could ever beat Keith."

"I can fix that," said Jonouchi. He pointed to a doorway behind them. "We can fight on the floor in there."

Rebecca turned to the elder Muto. "We'll pick up when I'm done with him."

**DUEL 16**: vs. Jonouchi

Inside was a bright yellow living room with a white carpet. There was a couch facing the television and video player against the wall. Suguroku and Yugi sat on the couch, Jonouchi and Rebecca, on the floor. Rebecca flipped a coin for turn order.

"I guess your luck carries over into coin flips too," she said.

"Alright!" They drew their cards. "Battle Warrior, defense mode!"

"You fought Keith with shoebox cards like that?"

"Hey, I BEAT Keith with cards like that!" Jonouchi shrugged. "Well, I'll pass."

Rebecca drew a card. "Witch of the Black Forest, attack mode. She attacks and destroys Battle Warrior. I set one card and pass."

Jonouchi pointed at the Witch. "For all your talk about how crappy my deck is, that card isn't much better."

"Shut. Up!"

Jonouchi drew a card. "Well, I did get you to play a card I can crush in attack mode, so I'll go with the Flame Swordsman! He attacks the Witch!"

"No way," she said. Rebecca flipped over her set card. "You don't think too far ahead, do you? Mirror Force reflects your attack."

Jonouchi slapped his forehead as if he had made a stupid mistake. It was.

"Aw man," he said. "And Yugi has that card too. I guess I'll end my turn."

"I'll set another card and have Cannon Soldier, attack mode."

"You play machine monsters like Keith does too?" he asked. Rebecca ignored him and discarded her Witch. "What're you doing?"

"Making fuel. I'll sacrifice the Witch to attack directly for 400LP damage. And because my Witch went to the Graveyard, I can pick another monster from my deck…in this case, Sangan. I pass."

"Hmm…" There was a look of irritation on Jonouchi's face as he drew a card and glanced at Rebecca.

"Have you finally realized that I'm way out of your league?"

"No way, I'm just getting warmed up. Axe Raider, attack mode!"

Rebecca sighed, shook her head, and flipped over the set card. "I'll use Man-Eater Bug to kill your Raider."

"I didn't even get to attack this time!"

"That's not my problem."

"I'll set one card and pass."

Rebecca drew a card. "I'll summon and sacrifice Sangan immediately so Cannon Soldier can make a direct attack. I'll take Witch of the Black Forest from the deck, and then set two cards and end my turn."

He drew a card. "Baby Dragon, attack mode! And I'll play the card I had face down-Time Wizard!"

"Time Wizard?" she asked.

"I'm gonna utilize that so-called abundance of luck you think I had." He took out a die.

"You…goddammit."

Jonouchi grinned. "One or six means I win. A thousand years will pass, meaning your machine rusts over and my Dragon ages like fine wine. If I miss, the way things are going…I'll probably just lose this duel."

He tossed the die in the air, to the side. The die fell and rolled around the floor.

"Yeah! A six!" he shouted.

Rebecca discarded a card. "Screw this, I'm using Magic Jammer."

"Dammit, Keith shut down my same combo too. Guess I'll just set one card and pass."

Rebecca drew a card. "Witch of the Black Forest, defense mode." Rebecca flipped over her set card. "I'll activate Morphing Jar."

Upon getting her new hand, she continued, "I'll sacrifice the Witch so my Soldier can make another direct attack."

"I've had it with you and your sacrifices!" Jonouchi shouted.

The sudden outburst jerked Rebecca back.

"You act like you'd bust open your own monsters for the prize inside!"

She gritted her teeth. What is it with people and these stupid attachments to a bunch of dumb cards? So instead of moving the Witch into the Graveyard, Rebecca decided to toss it aside. She smirked as Jonouchi clenched his fist and scowled.

"Hey!"

"I can do whatever the hell I want with my own cards, you moron!" she said. "If a tool breaks down, are you saying you'd weep for it? Observe a moment of silence?"

"Why you!"

"He's not saying you shouldn't play your cards as you see fit," said Yugi. He pointed to the Witch she tossed aside. "Rather, you should honor their sacrifices. I think Jonouchi's getting the impression that your heart isn't in your deck, and to be honest, I agree."

Rebecca stared at Yugi, her mouth half-open. "Are you serious? You mean the guy who trounced Pegasus also carries this nonsensical attitude? How did this stupid fad start, anyway?"

"There's no way you're a true duelist, let alone the American Champ," said Jonouchi.

He and Rebecca stared at each as might two men from rival gangs.

"I dare you to say that again," said Rebecca.

"I misspoke: I'll have yet to fight an American Champ."

"What?"

"You and Keith both act like complete scumbags. I'll tell you something right now: even if you do defeat me, I won't acknowledge you as the American Champion. A real Champion would respect her own cards."

"Just shut your mouth!"

Suguroku tried to speak. "Rebecca…"

"Especially YOU! Am I scumbag? Then what does that make you?" She turned to Jonouchi. "If you win, lecture me all you want. But only the victor can get the last word."

"Fine," said Jonouchi. He flipped over a set card. "But as for your Soldier's attack…I stopped Keith with a bunch of trap cards…like this one! Your attack triggers my Cataclysm Spike Pit, and a quarter of your Soldier's ATK gets deducted from your LP."

"I still sacrificed Witch, so I'm taking Shadow Ghoul from the deck. I end my turn."

Jonouchi drew a card, switched Baby Dragon to defense mode, and set a card. "I'll summon Garoozis in attack mode and leave it at that."

Rebecca drew a card. "I'll activate Graceful Charity, discarding two monsters. Next, I'll summon Shadow Ghoul. Since we've started, I managed to send 11 monsters into my Graveyard, so my Ghoul gets 100ATK per monster. Wanna count?"

"Yeah, actually, I would," he said.

Rebecca narrowed her eyes. She held up her Graveyard…and tossed it into the air, her cards scattering everywhere.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!?" he shouted.

"I told you, I can do whatever I want with my own cards. Besides, my dead monsters serve no use but to power up my Ghoul."

Jonouchi growled as he picked up her cards. Once satisfied, he put them in a neat pile, which Rebecca threw everywhere again.

"I didn't tell you to put my Graveyard back together."

"But-"

"My Ghoul attacks Garoozis."

"I'm activating another trap: Kunai with Chain. It'll give Garoozis a 500ATK boost."

"I still win the attack."

"But I only lose 400LP."

"So? It still puts you down to 800LP. I set one card and end my turn."

Jonouchi drew a card. "I'm activating Shield & Sword."

"Oh no you're not. I spent my championship match dealing with that card." Rebecca flipped over her set card. "And I'll stop it the same way. I'll negate it with De-Spell."

Jonouchi sighed. "In that case, I pass."

She drew a card. "The Ghoul attacks your Baby Dragon. I end my turn."

He drew a card and grinned. "I think it's time for Red-Eyes Black Dragon, attack mode!"

Her eyes widened. "How did a card that rare get into such a shoebox deck!?"

"I'll equip Dragon Nails to it too, and attack your Ghoul," he said.

Rebecca drew a card and discarded a monster. "I activate Tribute to the Doomed,"

Jonouchi flipped over his own set card. "Sorry, Graverobber will take the De-Spell from your discard pile and cancel it."

"Fine. I can still summon my second Shadow Ghoul in attack mode."

"No way!"

"And this one gains an additional 1300ATK. I set one card and pass."

"Urgh…I did it once, I can do it again! My Red-Eyes attacks your Ghoul!"

"You dumbass." Rebecca paid 300LP and flipped over her set card. "Armed Ninja can disarm your dragon, so my Ghoul can counterattack and win the round."

Jonouchi sighed, but ended his turn. He had lost 500LP and was now down to 300LP.

"I'll use Graceful Charity." She drew three cards. Two of them were useless magic cards, so she discarded them. But the last card made her smile. "Got it! Cannon Soldier, attack mode. Looks like I win."

He pounded the floor. "Dammit!"

"Congratulations with you win, Rebecca," said Yugi. "And you did well too, Jonouchi."

"Thanks, Yugi."

"Why compliment the loser?" asked Rebecca. "He couldn't take off half my life points."

"He carried that duel with respect," said Suguroku. "You could learn a thing or two."

"You're the last person I want to hear a lecture on about respect."

"Oi! Don't talk to gramps like that!" said Jonouchi. "You're the first person I can think of who needs to hear that lecture."

"Jonouchi, I think I said something about the victor getting the last word." She snatched his Graveyard in order to take Battle Warrior.

"HEY!" shouted Jonouchi. Yugi gasped as she ripped the card in half. "What the hell do you think you're doing!?"

Rebecca shrugged. "I'm probably doing your deck a favor. If you play with trash cards, I'm sure you won't have any problem replacing it. And isn't this is a game shop? Surely you won't find any trouble getting something better. I mean, Battle Warrior? Seriously?"

"Rebecca," said Yugi. Suguroku put a hand on Yugi's shoulder to interrupt.

"Rebecca," said Suguroku, "the heart of a duelist is in their every card. No matter what kind of card, strong or weak, they should be honored and treated with care."

She groaned. "Not this crap again."

"About the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, your grandfather gave that card to me because-"

"I'm not interested in hearing your lies!"

"Rebecca," said Yugi, "you should at least hear him out."

"Don't bother," said Jonouchi. "That Yankee will never get it."

"What am I, the villain here?" Rebecca shook her head. "But it works out since I've been trying to think of a good way to convince you guys to give me back the card. So why don't we make an ante? Since I'm apparently such a horrible caretaker, I'll bet my deck while Suguroku bets the Blue-Eyes White Dragon on a duel."

"Are you crazy?" asked Jonouchi. "Why should he have to wager his own card?"

"Better question," said Rebecca. "Why should I have to wager my OWN card?"

Yugi turned to his grandfather. "Grandpa, I think we should accept." He whispered something into his grandfather's ears.

After mulling over Yugi's words, Suguroku nodded. "Alright, I'll accept."

Rebecca sized the old man. "This'll be quick."

"However," said Yugi, "I will duel in his place. My grandpa was recently released from the hospital. So instead of dueling him, please duel me."

"American Champion versus the person who defeated the creator of Duel Monsters? I suppose that's fair. If I can't even beat you, then I wouldn't even be worthy of the card."


	20. EXTRA: Blue-Eyes White Revenge

**EXTRA II**

"Sorry, Rebecca, but my big brother's not going to lose."

The girl wearing pink blazers, white-collared shirt and tie, and a blue plaid skirt shook her head. "Shut up, Mokuba."

Mokuba grinned. A serious-looking boy about the same age as Rebecca, he had long black hair and wore a blue-striped long-sleeved shirt and jeans. On top of his shirt was a yellow vest. "Says you. Americans aren't even the top duelists in the world. I mean, have you even looked at the KC World Grand Prix list of participants? Half the runners are Japanese."

"It's not my fault the rest of the world isn't as talented as I am."

The Japanese boy with black and long hair shrugged. "Want to brag about how hard you'll beat my brother in front of the world? I mean, if you think you can't lose, I won't have much trouble finding a cameraman to broadcast your claim."

Rebecca brushed aside her long hair, as if to say Kaiba was no problem, but hesitated to say anything.

"Big surprise, the braggart American Champ doesn't think she measures up to Japan."

"Just…just take a seat or something. You'll see."

Mokuba laughed, stepped off the stage, and took a seat next to Leon, who sat between him and Sam. The moment Mokuba sat down, the boys started talking, happy faces turning to angry faces. Rebecca had a hunch as to the conversation, and so she shook her head, smiling. There was a good chance Sam and Mokuba were quarreling about whose nation was better at Duel Monsters while Leon had the impossible mission of getting them to calm down.

Imagine if he had to calm down this audience, one even bigger than the capacity of the New York City Duel Stadium!

The crowd started screaming as Seto Kaiba walked into the stadium. He wore a white sleeveless coat that reached his ankle, black shirts and pants underneath, and his face was unblemished, brown hair and cold blue eyes.

On the lower part of Kaiba's left arm, was a white disc that held a Duel Monsters deck with a slot at the nine o'clock for the Graveyard. Attached to the disc was something reminiscent of an arm blade, but it held plates to hold monsters, magic, and traps: the KC Duel Disk. With no need for cumbersome Battle Boxes and far more portable, Solid Vision now came with life-sized monsters and a robust new set of rules. They were all the rage if Battle City was an indicator.

Rebecca puffed her chest, took her deck from her own Duel Disk, and approached Kaiba.

"The American squirt I've heard so much about." He smirked. "Don't harbor any delusions about the result."

"You can't even defeat Yugi," she said. They traded decks and shuffled. "I have. And he's next once I'm done with you."

The smirk never left his face. "Hmph. So he throws matches to little girls to avoid breaking their hearts? To be honest, that's the sort of thing I'd expect from him."

Rebecca snatched her deck back, but Kaiba shrugged.

"Here," she said. "Take it and get out of my face."

Once he did, they walked several meters apart.

"Hearing your arrogance," said Kaiba, "It's time someone reminded you of your place."

"You're pretty arrogant too." She inserted her deck into the white disc. "No wonder Jonouchi hates your guts. I'll be more than happy to beat you black and blue for him."

"You're a friend of that mutt? You shouldn't associate with losers like him."

"Just shut up and draw your cards!"

**DUEL 17**: vs. Kaiba

"I'm going first," said Rebecca. She drew a card. "I'll set two cards and summon Fire Princess, defense mode. I end my turn."

On the field, the backs of two oversized cards materialized flat on the ground; so too did a crouching white-haired young lady in crimson robes wielding a staff.

Kaiba drew a card. "Vorse Raider, attack mode. Off with her head!"

A man-beast wielding a curved axe materialized and charged forward. Rebecca pointed to one of her set cards, and it stood up for activation.

"By attacking with a level four monster, the continuous trap Gravity Bind cancels your attack! Your power deck will crawl to a halt in front of this card."

"That much faith in one card? Meh heh heh. I'll end my turn."

A little unnerved at his confidence, Rebecca pointed to her other set card. "I'm activating another continuous trap before I draw. Solemn Wishes gives me an extra 500LP for each time I'm allowed to draw. And each time I get life points with Fire Princess on the field, you'll take 500LP damage."

"That's nice."

"Yeah, well, I'll teach you not to mock me. I'll use Graceful Charity to let myself draw again. So take another 500LP damage."

Pleasant rain sparkled on Rebecca's side of the field, but blasts of fire from the Princess's staff bombarded Kaiba's. Despite shielding himself, his life points fell from the starting 4000LP to 3000LP.

"Sangan, defense mode. I pass." The three-eyed orange critter materialized.

Kaiba drew a card. "Spear Dragon, attack mode. I set a card and end my turn."

A card and a blue dragon with a beige underside and a needle-like snout materialized.

"Before I draw a card, one of the monsters I discarded with Graceful Charity was Marie the Fallen One. So before I even draw, I receive another 200LP, which of course triggers Fire Princess's ability." She drew a card. "And let's not forget about Solemn Wishes!"

The lights of heaven and gentle rain bathed Rebecca as Kaiba defended himself again against additional incoming fireballs.

"I summon Forgiving Maiden, defense mode, and pass." As a praying old nun materialized, Rebecca asked, "5700LP vs. 2000LP and you can't even attack right now? Looks like you're losing rather badly, Kaiba!"

"It's just like children to let a shiny trinket captivate their attention." Kaiba drew a card. "I activate Stamping Destruction!"

Spear Dragon flew into the sky, and then descended to stomp on the Gravity Bind card.

"I can crush a card and deal you 500LP damage!" He smirked. "And now that I'm free to attack…Raider, hack that Princess to pieces! Spear Dragon, attack Sangan!"

With a thuggish grin, the Raider charged in and dismembered the Princess. Then, Spear Dragon flew forwards and pecked out Sangan's eyes. Her monsters staggered backwards and fell to the ground dead as Spear Dragon collapsed to the ground, exhausted.

"Don't forget my Dragon's ability to Pierce! You'll make up for the difference with your life points!"

He laughed as Rebecca watched her life point counter return to 4000LP.

"No problem," she said. "I still have twice your life points and now MY monsters' special abilities activate. First, with Sangan, I'll take Shining Angel from my deck. Then, I'll use Forgiving Maiden's one-off ability to return a monster that died on the field back to my hand. I choose Fire Princess."

"Don't you have a card called Millennium Shield in your possession? Why not take that with your Sangan? After all, you'll be seeing my Blue-Eyes White Dragon soon."

"I don't need defense to take you on. In fact, it was one of the cards I discarded with Graceful Charity."

Kaiba, amused, shrugged. "I end my turn."

"I'll get a total of 700LP once I draw my card." When she did, Rebecca fought hard to hide her elation, like as if eating something sweet. "I set this card. Then, I sacrifice the Forgiving Maiden to summon a strong monster, Airknight Parshath."

The Maiden turned into an orb, which then expanded as an angelic centaur materialized.

"I'll deal a critical blow if this goes through!" she said. "My monster also has the ability to Pierce enemies, so you'll take a full 1900LP in damage. Parshath attacks Spear Dragon!"

Parshath galloped forward, but Kaiba revealed his set card, and Parshath stopped short of Kaiba's monster.

"As expected of a child, too naïve. Negate Attack."

"Fine. I end my turn."

Kaiba drew a card and burst into laughter. "I sacrifice Vorse Raider AND Spear Dragon to summon my strongest card, Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"

The crowd's cheering blockaded any other sound as a massive, long-necked, bluish white dragon materialized. Kaiba's pride and joy, a card so powerful and rare that people like the Rare Hunters would kill to have it for themselves.

The same card Rebecca's heart desired.

"You just can't help yourself," she said. "I'm paying half of my life points and destroying Airknight Parshath so my trap activates: Forceful Deal!"

The joy on Kaiba's face turned to anger as the cheering turned into gasps and whispers. "You dare use that here?"

"I've waited so long for this exact moment. The card that belongs in a Champion's deck, Kaiba, and you're not the only one around here. Now your Blue-Eyes obeys ME!"

As the Blue-Eyes flew over to Rebecca's side, Kaiba scowled. "I swear you'll pay for that flippant attitude. I set one card and pass."

"Just think of this as retribution for ripping the fourth copy, MY copy, in half. Now that it's my turn, I get 700LP from my card effects." Rebecca's face broke into a grin. "Blue-Eyes White Dragon, attack Kaiba directly with White Lightning!"

Blue-Eyes roared, charged magical energy in its mouth, and then fired it as a beam. Kaiba pointed to his set card.

"Monster Reborn! I revive Millennium Shield!"

The Shield materialized on Kaiba's field. There was a bright explosion as the beam slammed into the defense.

"You want to steal my cards? Then I have no problem doing the same to you. It's only fitting that I use the ultimate defense against the ultimate attack."

"Dammit. I'll end my turn summoning Fire Princess, defense mode."

Kaiba drew a card as the Princess materialized. "I activate Pot of Greed, draw 2 cards." The confidence returned full force to his face.

"What are you smiling about?"

"I discard a card in my hand to activate Cost Down, which reduces the sacrifices I need to make for summoning a monster one less. And guess what else I drew?"

"No-you can't seriously mean-"

"My second Blue-Eyes!"

The crowd roared as another Blue-Eyes materialized, the second of the three copies in his deck, the second of the three usable copies in the world! Both dragons roared at each other.

"Next, I activate Card of Demise to replenish my hand back to five cards; in exchange, I have to discard my hand in five turns. Well, it's not that you'll last that long." After Kaiba replenished his hand, "I set one card and attack the Princess!"

His Blue-Eyes's beam dissolved the Princess into atoms.

"A 'tragedy' that Princess can't burn me again. I end my turn." That ever-loving smug look appeared on his face.

Rebecca drew Magic Jammer. "I get another 700LP, and I'll set the card I just drew. I pass." The only way to overturn a stalemate with monsters of the same caliber was through magic and traps.

Kaiba drew a card. "I too set a card and pass."

"You do know this stalemate benefits me, right? All that happens is that I get 700LP each turn while counting down until you have to discard your hand." Rebecca drew a card. "I set another card on the field. Now we both 2 set cards and a Blue-Eyes. I'll end my turn."

He drew another card. "Again, I set a card and pass."

Rebecca drew another card and gained another 700LP. "Time to attack. I summon Mystical Elf, defense mode. Her special ability lets me transfer her attack points to another monster, and I'm choosing my Blue-Eyes."

"Do you think it'll be that easy? After all the cards we just set?"

"We'll find out." She gritted her teeth."I'll activate one of the cards I set: Offerings to the Doomed. I skip my next Draw Phase to take out your Blue-Eyes."

Kaiba clenched one of his hands but did nothing as a bunch of bandages emerged from her card, wrap around his Blue-Eyes. Despite his Dragon's roars and struggles, the bandages succeeded at dragging it back into the card.

Rebecca raised an eyebrow. "How can you have nothing to stop it?"

"You'll pay. Just you wait. Death awaits those who toy with my Blue-Eyes."

"Hmph! Blue-Eyes, attack Kaiba again with White Lightning!"

"I'm activating a couple cards in response."

"Figures."

"When you declared an attack, you triggered my trap: Magical Trick Mirror. It lets me use a magic card from your Graveyard. And I pick your Offerings to the Doomed!"

The bandages attacked her Blue-Eyes in the same way they did his…except that her Blue-Eyes was still charging an attack.

"Then I'll use another card, Command Silencer, to negate the attack."

"I don't think so. I had a card set, too. I'll discard a card to activate Magic Jammer and jam your silencer."

Her Blue-Eyes managed to fire its attack before the bandages dragged off the Dragon. The resulting explosion engulfed Kaiba and lit up the stadium.

"Did…did I win?"

As the dust cleared, Kaiba still stood, albeit covering himself with his arms. "Not quite. Shrink halves the attack."

"So you 'only' lose most of your life points." Rebecca smirked, her body tingling at the bright prospects. "How the mighty are falling. I end my turn."

"I summon X-Head Cannon in defense mode and pass." A blue-and yellow mechanical dragon materialized, its massive shoulder cannons, torso, and arms dwarfing its head.

"That's it? Looks like you're in a corner. I might not get to benefit from Solemn Wishes this time, but I still get points from Marie the Fallen One. For now I'll just summon Shining Abyss, defense mode, and pass."

Kaiba drew a card, set it, and started laughing. "I think you're under the mistaken impression that this duel is in your favor."

"Come again?"

"You don't actually have anything worth attacking with right now. To me, it looks like you're only interested in preparing some sacrifices right now."

"But I'm miles ahead of you. After your next turn, you'll have to discard your hand due to Card of Demise! You only have a 100LP. Me? 5350LP and growing. This duel is basically over; you can at least not be a sore loser as we finish."

"I wonder if you could say all that if I summoned my third Blue-Eyes? In fact, I was waiting for you to summon an additional monster. Now I'll activate Soul Exchange!"

"That's…!"

"I sacrifice your Mystical Elf and Shining Abyss so I can summon my third Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"

Her monsters vanished into light as she heard the roar of a new Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Rebecca stepped back.

"Blue-Eyes White Dragon! Attack her directly! White Lightning!"

Despite shielding herself from the attack, it blasted through her like a train. The force pushed Rebecca onto her back, and then she struggled to get back up, her entire body aching.

He smirked. "I set one card and end my turn."

Rebecca panted as she got on her feet, gathered her cards scattered about from the impact, and tried to consider a way out, but nothing good was left in her hand. At this rate Kaiba would have no trouble winning. Her hands trembled, if not from exhaustion, then from fear, as she drew a card.

Kaiba laughed. "Don't forget your 700LP!"

"I…activate Monster Reborn to summon Blue-Eyes White Dragon."

"Hmph. Aren't you better served with Millennium Shield? You could prolong your life by cowering under some sort protection."

Rebecca felt a little nostalgia as she saw her the-Eyes descending.

"Oh, I see. You wanted to play with my card one last time, right? It's just like a child to be attached to her toys."

"Attack X-Head Cannon with White Lightning!"

Kaiba pointed to his set card. "Did you forget about this card? I activate Shadow Spell!"

"No!"

Rebecca's Blue-Eyes charged up for an attack, but the chains lassoed its neck and body. The ball of energy dispersed, and no matter how much her Blue-Eyes tried to move, the effort was futile.

She looked down and said, "I end my turn."

"I discard the card in my hand due to Card of Demise." Kaiba drew a card and smirked for the last time. "It's over. I sacrifice X-Head Cannon to summon Kaiser Glider, attack mode, and put the Blue-Eyes on your side of the field out of its misery."

A golden dragon materialized and incinerated her Blue-Eyes with golden flames. Rebecca sighed, her heart empty.

"There's only room in the world for one person to wield a Blue-Eyes White Dragon, and it isn't you. Now show Rebecca what happens to those who steal my Blue-Eyes!"

This legendary dragon is a powerful engine of destruction. Virtually invincible, very few have faced this awesome creature and lived to tell the tale.


	21. EXTRA: War of American Champs

**EXTRA III**

"Hey! I think she's waking up!"

"Huh?" Rebecca opened her eyes but everything was out of focus. She touched the top of her head and sat up from the grassy ground. Was this a park? "What happened?"

"Are you okay?" "Of course she is. She just flew into a chair pretty hard." "Why don't we give her some space?" A few boys talking were standing a few feet away.

Rebecca's vision started clearing, so she sat up, adjusted her glasses and looked around, her body too sore to stand. From the voices, she assumed they were Leon, Mokuba, and Sam.

Mokuba grinned and walked over. "I just knew you couldn't beat my big brother. Wanna see the attack that finished you off again?"

"Uh, thanks, but no."

"That's too bad, because that duel was broadcast worldwide. I'm sure you'll get to see it whether or not your want to. But hey, considering how you stole his Blue-Eyes, you probably left an impression on him. That's more than most people can claim."

"I think maybe you should give her some more space, Mokuba," said Leon. Today he wore a latte-colored vest sweater with a light-blue collared shirt underneath and blue short pants. "I thought it was a good duel. She managed to hold her own, after all."

Sam, dressed in a dark-blue t-shirt and jeans, put a hand on Leon's shoulder and grinned. "Well, she represented America pretty well, even managing to drive Kaiba into a corner."

"Thanks." Rebecca smiled and blushed. If nothing else, the KC World Grand Prix was great for making friends.

"By the way," said Mokuba, "How did the last attack feel?"

She let herself fall back to the ground. "Don't remind me."

"The medics said you'd be all right and wake up soon, so we just asked them to leave you out here instead of taking you to a hospital."

How does it work, anyway?" asked Sam.

"Trade secret," said Mokuba.

Sam turned to Rebecca. "Any ideas?"

"I could hazard a few guesses," she said, "but I probably couldn't confirm anything unless I somehow get the tools necessary to reverse engineer it.

He turned to Leon. "And you?"

"Well…it's…"

"Don't pressure him if he doesn't want to," said Mokuba. "Anyway, if nobody wants to answer, we might as well go on and watch the last batch of duels."

"By the way, where are we?" asked Rebecca."I can't see the stadium."

"If you turn past that restaurant, it should be just in front of you," said Leon.

"Wish it was open," said Sam. "I'm a bit hungry."

"I'm sure there's a dozen others open," said Mokuba.

Leon shuffled his feet. "Actually, you guys go on ahead. I'll just come back when it's my turn to duel again."

"Why?"

"It's just…I don't know, nerves?"

"Isn't Siegfried from Germany?" asked Sam. "Leon is the European Duel Monsters Champion, so maybe you two have some sort of feud?"

"Yeah, um, I guess you could say that."

At that moment, Rebecca smelled something like heavy smoke.

"Haw haw…bet I could fill in a #$%# detail or two!"

From behind the restaurant, Keith emerged, wearing a Duel Disk. He looked just like Rebecca remembered him a couple years ago, except he also had on a blue studded vest, wore shades, and was in need of a shave.

"Keith!" said Rebecca. She forced herself to stand up, not wanting him to see any weakness. "You're here?"

"Of course. But for SOME reason, I'm not participating." He glared at Mokuba. "How the #$%# do you call this a tournament for the world's greatest duelists and not invite the #1?"

"Well, nobody was able to contact you, and, well…" Mokuba pointed to Sam.

"Sam wouldn't have won without that hippie's help." Keith sneered before jerking a thumb to Rebecca. "And I mean, #$%#, some kid I snuffed just takes my place?"

Rebecca scowled.

Sam held up his Duel Disk. "At least I'm good enough to be here."

Keith guffawed. "Good enough to be knocked down in the first round, you got that right. Done in by a #$%# European to boot. EUROPE. "

"But Leon is the-"

"Losing to a European is like losing to an old lady. It's downright embarrassing."

Sam grunted and folded his arms while Leon bowed his head. Rebecca laid a hand on their shoulders.

"Just ignore him," she said.

"And #$%# you too!" Keith spat in her direction. "What the hell happened to my country after I left that we started sucking #$%#!? There's not even an American in the top five anymore!"

Rebecca stomped the ground. "That doesn't mean Americans became pushovers!"

"BS, I just watched Kaiba kick you in the #$%# too. I'm ashamed to see someone from my country blow such an easy win."

"Why don't you just go away?"

"Hey Miss Einstein, why do you think I'm here in the first place?"

"Huh?"

"I didn't plan on staying here long. I just wanted to see how low the Americans have fallen. Or does the little girl wanna take a nap instead of fighting the big bad ex-Champ?"

"I can take you on any time, any place!"

"I'll fight you too," said Sam. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Keith snarled. "You couldn't even get past the first round. I don't want anything to do with rank trash. Stay out of it!"

Flabbergasted, Sam nodded, but said to Rebecca, "Beat this guy for me."

"Yeah, I will."

"I'm not sure that's necessary," said Mokuba. "I heard a rumor that you were involved with the Card Professors at the time they were occupying our headquarters. That's some serious trespassing. In fact, I'd like to haul you in for questioning, Keith."

"I'd like to see you try," said Keith

"Card Professors?" asked Rebecca.

"You're an American, right?" replied Mokuba. "Surely you've heard of them?"

She frowned. "Well, yeah, but…"

"Funny," said Keith, "how none of them could make it here. And although I don't #$%# care about them, it ruined my day to see them absent. So guess what? Before this duel gets underway, I'm gonna #$%# someone else's day too."

"Still the same old bastard," said Rebecca.

"Don't worry; I'll clean you too." Keith sneered and jerked a thumb to Leon. "But first, I think there's something you ought to know about this Kid Europe that you invited. The moment I saw him beat an American, even if the guy he beat was just a piece of #$%#, I felt like venting."

"Wait," said Leon, "what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that you might still be in this Grand Prix, but with all the #$%# you've been pulling for a while, the world should be thanking me to screw you over. Why don't I start with that castle 'card' you got from a certain someone?"

Leon paled.

"Can't you just knock it off and go away?" asked Rebecca. "You're such a nuisance."

"Believe me; I wouldn't approach a group of snotty kids just to chat. But just look at him! It ought to be #$%# obvious he's hiding something dangerous." Keith grinned. "It's about time someone put him in his place."

"Why don't we make a deal?" Rebecca asked. "I get that you want to duel me. But if you continue to harass my friend, then I'm suddenly not interested in a rematch. How about this? If I win, you go away. If I lose, then you can say whatever you want."

"Works for me; the only thing that'll change is when I expose that loser."

"Wait, Rebecca," said Leon, "you only just recovered from the last duel! And you shouldn't have to burden yourself with my problem!"

"I don't plan on losing," she said. "And I certainly won't miss a chance to pay back Keith for humiliating me on that duel way back. Just trust me with this."

"Leon!" said Sam. "We're all friends. What kind of friend would she be to ignore you?"

"But…" Leon sighed. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't hiding something."

"Don't worry about it. We all have secrets, right?"

"And Leon," said Mokuba, "Even if Keith does end up talking, I'll do my best to limit any damage he wants to inflict on you."

"You guys…" Leon smiled. "Well, okay. Thanks, everyone."

**DUEL 18**: vs. Keith II

After they drew their starting hands, Rebecca said, "Ladies fir-"

"Screw you, #$%#!" shouted Keith. He drew a card "I'm taking the first turn! And I summon Motor Shell, defense mode. I'll pass with that."

A plain motor with equipped with a shield materialized.

"You couldn't wait a turn just to summon a monster?" asked Rebecca. She drew a card.

"Hey Rebecca!" said Mokuba, "Now that you two are into it, keep this guy dueling as long as you can. I'm calling security to see if they can arrest Keith."

"Damn brat!" said Keith. "The hell is your problem?"

"Didn't I tell you? You're suspected of trespassed on KC property with the Card Professors." Mokuba folded his arms and smiled. "Of course, if that's a problem, you can always just surrender this duel and run away."

"You think I'll back down from some kid's threat!?"

Rebecca smiled. "I'll be sure to keep him entertained, Mokuba."

Keith growled.

"I activate Graceful Charity to exchange my hand. The two cards I'm discarding are monsters with the 'light' attribute, so I'll Banish them out of play to summon Soul of Purity and Light, attack mode. I'll also summon Shining Angel, attack mode."

A couple of winged humanoids angels materialized. Shining Angel looked like a young blonde man in a white tunic, and the Soul, a lovely translucent woman.

"You can be rude all you like, but you're not walking out of this unscathed. The Soul attacks the Shell, and the Angel can then make a direct attack!"

The Soul attacked by flying through the Shell, causing his machine to short-circuit.

"When the Shell dies, it leaves behind a Motor Parts Token," said Keith.

"Yeah, but with 0ATK, it won't do much. I'M the one setting the pace today!"

The Angel gestured to the sky, and a column of light enveloped the Token. When the column vanished, so too had the Token, the attack dealing 1400LP damage to Keith,

"I end my turn," said Rebecca. Her body still tired, she let her arms dangle.

Keith drew a card. "Ready for a bit of nostalgia? Here comes the Pillager!"

"Ugh." Rebecca revealed her hand: Tribute to the Doomed, The Forgiving Maiden, Fire Princess, and Polarizing Prism.

He guffawed. "Trash cards, but I'll take Tribute to the Doomed. Not like it's useful against my machines anyway, right? Now get over here and hand me your #$%# card."

"Hmph." As she got closer, she caught a definite whiff of cigarettes. "Been gambling?"

"Duel Monsters isn't the only game of cards where I can steal everyone's money." With her magic card in hand, he said, "But I don't really care about money anymore."

"Huh?"

"Anyhow, now that I have your card, might as well activate it."

Still standing next to Keith, she turned her head to see the bandages entangle the Soul.

"I set one card and summon another Motor Shell, defense mode, I pass."

Rebecca walked back to her side of the field and drew a card. "I sacrifice Shining Angel to summon Airknight Parshath."

Once Parshath materialized, Rebecca called for an attack Parshath galloped forward and cleaved the Shell. It broke apart to reveal another Token.

"Parshath Pierces, so you take 100LP damage. And since I dealt damage in battle, I get to draw a card." She drew Guardian Angel Joan.

"I'm activating my trap: Scrap Garage. I'm gonna summon every Motor monster from my Graveyard in attack mode."

The two Motor Shells materialized, including one more that looked like a cyborg with guns for its hands. Once they materialized she realized they had 0ATK. What a shame to be lacking another to monster for an attack!

"What's that cyborg?" asked Rebecca.

"Moron, it's the card I discarded from Tribute to the Doomed: Motor Violence."

"Fine. I set a card and end my turn."

Keith drew a card. "Since that's obviously Polarizing Prism, I'll activate Card Hexative to seal it. And I'm sacrificing Violence and the Token to summon Barrel Dragon, attack mode."

She swallowed. As chains covered Rebecca's card, a metal dragon with chambers from a revolver as its three cannons materialized. Keith grinned.

"Since in expert rules we now make direct attacks and my Dragon makes three attacks per turn in one shot, I'll explain how it works. Like before, I'll name how many attacks I want to make and on whom, so in this case, it's two on the monster and one on you. First, we check to see if I make a successful attack on the monster. If I do, and you're out of monsters, then we check the result of the attack on you. If you still have a monster after my two attacks, then I can't even fire the third chamber."

Rebecca crossed her fingers.

"Go! Russian Roulette!" The chambers started spinning. "Now trash that #$%#! Gun Cannon Shot!"

Of the two cannons, one fired. The one headshot later, Parshath was dead.

A malicious grin grew on his face. "Hope you're ready!"

Rebecca tried to brace herself and used her arms to prepare for an incoming bullet, but they refused to move.

BANG!

She gasped and fell to the ground on her side, clutching her stomach.

"Rebecca!" Leon, Mokuba, and Sam ran to her aid.

"Don't worry…I'm fine."

"But we're just concerned." "Who leaves a girl lying on the ground?" They lifted her by the arm back onto her feet and then stepped back. "You don't be so stubborn, you know."

Rebecca looked at the ground and blushed. "Thanks."

"If you wimps are done cuddling, I'm gonna finish up. I switch the two Shells into defense mode and set one card, ending my turn."

Rebecca drew a card and bit her lip: the Card of Sanctity. This would refill their hand to six cards, and in this case, since Keith had no cards in his hands, he would get a massive benefit. However, he also had a 2600ATK monster capable of making three attacks. In her hand, there was nothing Keith would have trouble killing, and with her 700LP, she could not afford another direct hit.

She sighed. "I activate Card of Sanctity!"

Dumbfounded at first, Keith hawed. "The Devil's bargain! I'm interested. Let's see what you can pull out of your #$%# this time!"

They drew their cards. "I'll set this and summon the Forgiving Maiden, defense mode. I can take back Soul of Purity and Light since it died on the field. With that, I pass."

Keith drew a card as Rebecca's old nun materialized. "Time I put your donation to good use. I sacrifice the two Shells to summon Zoa, attack mode. Zoa attacks the Maiden!"

The spiky blue demon Zoa materialized and scampered forward to attack. Rebecca forced herself to point at her set card.

"So long as this is on the field, Gravity Bind will prevent high-level monsters' attacks."

"Hmph. Then I end my turn."

Rebecca drew and activated her next card. "Refracting Prism can split my Maiden into as many copies as you have monsters. And then I'll sacrifice these two monsters to summon Guardian Angel Joan, attack mode."

Despite the audible support from the cheering section behind Rebecca, the boys, Keith sniggered as the blonde short-haired woman clad in white materialized and took to the air with her majestic wings. "Too bad you can't attack thanks to your own Gravity Bind."

"I set a card and pass."

"Looks like you went through a lot of effort to summon that powerful monster," said Keith. He drew a card. "Why don't I summon something to kill it?"

"There's no low-level monster strong enough to do that!"

" #$%# wrong!" A red bomb with metal pincers materialized and clamped itself to Joan. "I summon Blast Sphere and 'equip' it to your monster."

"Ah!"

A red sphere materialized and clamped itself to her monster.

"I think I'll set one card and end my turn."

Rebecca drew a card and frowned. She had nothing that could save Joan. After Joan to defense mode, Keith laughed as the Blast Sphere detonated, leaving nothing but dust and dealing to her100LP damage. The boys encouraged her not to worry, but their voices betrayed concern.

"I activate the card I set on the field," said Rebecca. "Monster Reborn! I'll revive Guardian Angel Joan!"

"Nice try, but I'm activating my own set card: De-Spell cancels the summoning."

Rebecca bit one of her nails. "Before anything resolves, I can still play Emergency Provisions to discard all my magic and traps on the field: Monster Reborn, Gravity Bind, and my trap your Hex sealed. Since I get 1000LP for each card discarded, I get 3000LP."

Keith pointed to Barrel Dragon as Gravity Bind vanished. "Are you dumb or what?"

"Next, I Banish the Forgiving Maiden and Airknight Parshath from the Grave to summon Soul of Purity of and Light, attack mode." Once the Soul materialized, she continued, "The Soul attacks Zoa! And since this is light magic vs. demon, the Soul gets the x1.5 multiplier, making her stat shoot up to 3000ATK!"

The Soul's luminosity increased and Rebecca shut her eyes. When she opened them a few seconds later, however, a mechanical demon remained of what was once Zoa.

"No way!"

"I've been sitting on this card for a while: Metalmorph changes Zoa into a machine, and that removes your type match-up bonus. Not only that, my new monster gets a little power boost. Metalzoa, counterattack!"

The machine stepped forward and grabbed the still-luminescent Soul. One crush and the Soul's light died, dealing Rebecca 1000LP damage.

"Looks like you're #$%#," said Keith. "Next turn, I'll riddle you dead with bullets."

"Ugh…I summon Dunames Dark Witch, defense mode, set a card, and end my turn."

A red-clothed witch with purple hair and white wings materialized.

Keith guffawed as he drew a card. "No cards in your hand? Looks like you need another Card of Sanctity. Well, tough #$%#! Time to die. Metalzoa attacks!"

"Mirror Force deflects your attack!"

"That card was a #$%# Mirror Force!?"

As Metalzoa swung its claw at her Dunames Witch, the barrier materialized. There was an explosion, and when the dust settled, Keith's monsters were gone, costing him 400LP.

" #$%#! I set a card and activate Two-for-One Repair Job. I can summon any Motor after Banishing all the other Motors in my Graveyard." Motor Violence materialized, poised and ready. "I end my turn."

"Alright!" exclaimed Mokuba. Rebecca was about to turn to ask what he meant when he said, "Thanks for holding down the fort, Rebecca. The men I called for showed up."

Said Rebecca and Keith: "Huh?" They looked around to see a couple dozen men in suits walking towards them.

"You don't have to continue dueling," said Mokuba. "Keith can either stand there and get arrested by my men, or forfeit the duel and get a head start escaping."

Keith, of course, swore.

"Wait!" said Rebecca.

Replied Mokuba and Keith: "Huh?"

"I want to crush Keith, but I don't want to win because he was forced away. I'd lose my chance to make an honest victory."

"Kid," said Keith, "get a clue. You'll never win playing fairly against ME. A win's a win, no matter how it's done."

"Mokuba, you can do whatever you want with Keith after we finish dueling. But please don't take this chance away from me."

Mokuba sighed and folded his arms. "Fine. I guess he's not going anywhere once you finish anyway."

She smiled. "Thanks, Mokuba." She turned back to a sniggering Keith, and drew a card.

That draw lit her eyes. "Magician of Faith, defense mode! She lets me take a magic card that I previously discarded. So I'll take Monster Reborn and activate it to summon Guardian Angel Joan!"

" #$%#!"

"I also switch the Dunames Witch to attack mode." Keith had one card set, but if Rebecca could force the attacks through, she would win! Guardian Angel Joan out-leveled Motor Violence and thus could make a successful attack, damaging to his life points. Then, Dunames Witch could finish him off with a direct attack. "Guardian Angel Joan attacks Motor Violence!"

Rebecca smiled while the metal on Violence warped and crumpled as a pillar of light engulfed his monster. As the light faded, nothing there remained. Was her victory here at last?

"I guess it doesn't matter, but Guardian Angel Joan also lets me collect life points based on the monster's attack. Wait, what's that?"

A black chamber materialized, and its door opened to reveal Motor Violence.

"Time Machine travels back in time to retrieve my monster before the battle happened. So while you destroyed my monster, it didn't truly die, so I won't lose any life points."

"But since I still destroyed Violence, I can collect life points for beating it."

Two Tokens appeared.

"Huh?"

"Of course, by that same reasoning, since you technically did manage to destroy the machine, its special ability kicks in and summons two Motor Parts Tokens.

"That's fine with me! They're in attack mode, so my Dunames Witch can attack to inflict serious damage!"

A jet of sparkling black magic blasted one of the Tokens into nothing.

"Wipe that smug look off your #$%# face!" said Keith.

"Make me! You only have 400LP, and I have 4700LP. And since you can't switch your Token to defense mode, all I have to do next turn is attack and win. I end my turn."

The boys cheered.

"You don't think déjà vu can happen? It's the same story with Kaiba." Keith drew a card as Rebecca narrowed her eyes. "I'll teach you not to #$%# with me; I'll have you know that I was waiting for you to kill Violence the first time. I sacrifice Violence and the Token to summon Fiendish Engine Omega, attack mode."

A towering red metal robot materialized with axes bigger than Rebecca attached to its gauntlets. She could hear words of fear and amazement from the boys.

"And I'm activating Engine Tuner. I can pick a monster and convert half its defense points into attack points; add it up and you get 3800ATK." Keith pointed to the Dunames Witch as the boys groaned. "Trash it."

His Engine stampeded forward and slashed. And slashed and slashed and slashed, costing Rebecca 2000LP.

Keith laughed. "The horrified look on you and your dweeb friends' faces suits you all perfectly! I may only have 400LP, but no way in Hell will you be able to topple over this machine! I end my turn."

Rebecca drew a card: Fire Princess. However, she found no point summoning her new card if Keith still had that monstrosity. "I switch Joan to defense mode and pass."

Keith drew a card. "I set one card and summon Mechanicalchaser, attack mode. Now clear the rest of the #$%# off this field!"

As his bat-like green machine materialized, she closed her eyes, and covered her ears, not wanting to see or hear the carnage. After a few moments passed, Rebecca opened them again to see nothing but two machines poised.

"I end my turn."

Rebecca drew a card. Could this be the start of a comeback?

"I activate Swords of Revealing Light," she said. "For three turns you can't attack."

"Huh? Did I hear something?" Keith grinned and pointed to his set card. "Say that again. Magic Drain forces you to discard a magic card if you still want to play your #$%# Swords."

The only card in her hand was Fire Princess

Rebecca cringed. "Then there's nothing I can do. I pass."

Keith grinned, ignored his draw, and shot Rebecca with his hand. "Fiendish Engine Omega, cut her dead!"

Her eyes widened as the Engine rushed forward. Paralyzed and scared, the only thing she could think of was all that slashing; the only thing she could hear, the commotion from the boys; the only thing she could feel, her aching body.

Someone pushed her to the ground from behind, out of harm's way. Whoever he was, Rebecca had no idea, but she was grateful to skip the hit, although her body continued to ache.

"With you, I guess America isn't completely screwed. Don't #$%# our reputation." That voice was Keith's, but did he say that? Did she imagine it?

Rebecca looked up to see Keith running into the restaurant, several guards pursuing and shouting. The guards must have given chase the moment the duel was over, so when did he have time to say all that?

A bunch of hands lifted Rebecca to her feet in the same way as before, by the same boys.

"Impossible!" shouted Mokuba. "That restaurant was supposed to be closed! So why was it unlocked?"

She heard one of the men say, "Sir, we have the restaurant surrounded, and we have multiple men investigating inside.

"Good. Don't lose him."

"Sir."

The boys started asking if Rebecca was okay, to which she replied, "Of course! Thanks."

Mokuba turned to Rebecca. "Thanks for keeping Keith occupied."

"No problem, I guess," she said. "Thanks for letting me finish the duel."

"No problem."

"By the way, did you hear him say anything after the duel?"

"Huh? No, he started running before the attack even landed. Why?"

"Nothing." She asked the other two boys, "Did you guys hear anything?"

They shook their heads.

"Forget I said anything, then." She sighed and looked away. "I'm sorry, Leon. I lost."

"Please don't worry about it," said Leon. "More importantly, you need to rest."

"And I doubt Keith has time to say anything if he's hiding in the restaurant," said Sam. "Besides, you were up against, well, Keith. Nobody can blame you for losing to him, especially with the shape you were in."

Rebecca smiled and nodded. "Alright."

"But seeing you fight Keith to the bitter end," said Leon, "I'm feeling a little more courageous. Mokuba, would you mind if I spoke to you in private for a few minutes? It's probably better that I confess this sooner than later."

"Uh, sure," said Mokuba. The boys released Rebecca.

One of the men returned. "Sir!"

"What?"

He hesitated. "We lost him. The only thing he left behind was a Duel Disk, probably because he didn't want us tracking him."

"What! Aren't you guys supposed to be the best security money can buy? Forget about how he got in here, how could you lose him so easily?"

"I don't get it either. We literally combed every inch of the restaurant, but we couldn't find him inside. None of our guys on the outside saw him emerge from anywhere. Is there a secret tunnel or something in there?"

"Not that I'm aware of. Look, Keith can't just turn into a ghost!"

Tapping on Rebecca's shoulder drew her attention to Sam.

"What did you hear, anyway?" Sam whispered. "Did Keith say something?"

"Yeah, something like, 'don't make America look bad!'"

He chuckled. "I thought it would be one last parting taunt."

"I hope it wasn't my imagination. If he really said that, I'd be pretty happy."


	22. FINAL: Heaven and Hell

**FINAL**

A young woman wearing a collared long-sleeved buttoned dress shirt and a long black skirt sighed at her desk.

"Damn these people, why can't they wait until Monday?" Rebecca muttered. She glanced at the clock. Only fifteen minutes before the weekend, yet someone was knocking on the door to her office. She sighed, forced a smile on her face, and perked her voice. "Please come in!"

The thick office door opened, and Rebecca gasped to see her snake-eyed visitor.

Dressed in the same way they met as last time and holding a folder, Steve glanced at the clock and smirked. "I hope I'm not coming in at a bad time? I figured you might be busy today, so I decided to wait until most of the employees went home for the weekend."

"You! W-what are you doing here?"

He closed the door. "Seth actually works one floor above you. He said you'd be here, so I asked him if he thought I could drop by to pay you a visit and reminisce."

"What do you want?"

"I was hoping we could duel. I didn't bring my cards with me, but I left them at the site where we'll fight."

"Why would I want to duel you, let alone accompany you, to some place unknown?"

"Oh, that's easy. I have men ready to shoot your family dead as they get home."

Rebecca stared at Steve. "And you expect me to believe that? I thought the Rare Hunters disbanded once Battle City ended, as in, you all were gone years ago."

"Just because the leader disbanded us all those years ago doesn't mean there aren't other likeminded people with a passion for thievery. But although the group doesn't have as much influence as in the past, there is a difference between having some influence and having none. Of course, if you don't believe me, maybe I can get your family to scream a bit to convince you?"

"Fine, fine, I get it." Rebecca could feel herself sweating as the image of terrorists attacking her family passed through her mind. "So you think I have something valuable? This confession might be a little late, but I don't have a Blue-Eyes White Dragon."

"No, no, this is nothing business, just personal. I'm interested in doing to you what you did to me back then."

Rebecca said nothing, so Steve opened his folder, took out a paper and brushed it. "You're pretty important in this company, a top technical researcher. You graduated from a prestigious university two years after our fight and took a job here. Eight years later, you developed into a beautiful young lady, married, and now have two children. And at 22, you still have the rest of your life ahead of you."

"What is that, my dossier?"

He skipped her question. "So in essence, our situations are basically inverted from ten years ago. The avenger is some nobody seeking to take down someone highly successful."

"You plan to ruin my life?"

"It's simple. You accompany me to the duel site, and I won't give the order to execute your family. I only have a grudge against you, so long as you comply."

"What exactly is your plan?"

"We'll both bet our lives as the ante on one duel. I prepared a car and a couple men to pick us up outside, so we'll stop at your home so you can get your deck."

"Do the rest of you Rare Hunters think of nothing but power, riches, and revenge?"

Steve looked away. "That's a misunderstanding. I long since quit the Rare Hunters."

"Then what have you been doing all this time?"

"Good question. I changed identities, started a consulting practice using my knowledge and connections with the underground world, and even adopted a couple children."

"…Right."

"You don't think people can change over a decade? Or that someone with a family could still seek revenge? Didn't you still have your late grandfather, someone who loved you very much, when going after me?"

She bowed her head. "Then why? Last time, you could say that I was young, selfish, and didn't fully understand what I was getting myself into. But you're an adult; you're supposedly even a parent! If you're telling the truth, those kids need you!"

"My whole life went downhill the moment I lost to you, and it's taken me so long to put it back together. Your existence is a monument to my regrets, a monument I must utterly defeat and destroy before I can move on with my life. And nothing would give me closure like the irony of your defeat in a duel."

Rebecca closed her eyes and thought about her family. "Fine, I accept."

The only thing that stayed Rebecca's nerves during the trip was the call Steve let her make to confirm her family's safety, but as the conversation among the men drifted towards how close they were to the destination, her body started shaking again. Being a hostage was awful.

"Please remove your blindfold," said Steve.

"So if I win…"

"My men will escort you the same way back, yes. They aren't picky about the result."

Rebecca stepped out of the car onto the gravel road. After wondering how long they spent traveling, she untied her blindfold to find herself in a tall grassy meadow at sunset.

"This place is beautiful," said Rebecca, "but I don't see a base or anything."

"The dueling site is underground. See those trees in the distance over there? There's a trapdoor between them. Please follow me."

Rebecca sighed and lifted her long skirt to prevent it from dragging over the tall grass. "Maybe it's because I'm female, but I figured I wouldn't need to change into something more casual since you never brought it up."

"You say that as if you were going to win."

"No, it's just…never mind, you're a guy."

"Clothes are easily replaceable."

"Yeah, well, I might've worn something other than high heels if I knew we'd be walking through nature."

"Oh. Sorry."

"But not really, I take it."

After a careful walk while accompanied by one of the men, they arrived at the spot. The man squatted and started patting the ground in several spots. Upon finding the spot he wanted, the man grasped the dirt, pulled out a chain, and stepped backwards to drag open the trapdoor to reveal concrete steps descending into a dark passageway.

"Thanks," said Steve. "One of us will be back in about half an hour."

The man nodded.

Steve led the descent, and several light bulbs turned on to illuminate the passageway, so cold and unfeeling that Rebecca shivered. After about a minute, they came upon a closet which held a computer and a steel door. After turning on the computer and starting a couple programs, he turned to Rebecca.

"Our duel will be over in the next room," he said. "For one of us, it will be the last room we see in this world."

"So you prepared all this?"

"I actually had to pay someone. This place used to be one of the Rare Hunter's storage rooms, but it's since been cleared."

The steel door creaked as it opened itself, rays of dimness pouring through the cracks, and they walked into another, bigger room, cube in shape.

Rebecca looked around. Multiple light bulbs were screwed in to the ceiling for lighting, the floor and walls were all made of concrete. Vents were tucked into each corner. Lying on opposite sides of the room was a Duel Disk, a small yellow box, and a shackle with its chain bolted into the wall.

"It's not too late to stop," said Rebecca.

The steel door sealed itself shut.

"…Or not. So you're this determined to see this through to the end?"

"Pick a side and shackle yourself." Once she did, Steve pointed to the yellow box in front of her feet. "If you win, the box will open up with a key specially designed for its shackle. You'll be able to free yourself, send your last taunts, and leave; but don't dawdle, because that door is programmed to seal shut forever after three minutes once it opens for the last time. That means the loser, of course, dies here."

The image of dying in this dim, lonely room gave Rebecca the shivers.

"By the way, to prevent one side from stalling in case it's obvious who the winner is, a turn automatically ends after three minutes; the Duel Disk will enforce it."

"I don't plan on stalling!"

"Good." After shuffling decks, Steve walked to the opposite side, shackled himself, and took a deck from inside his pocket. "I guess we're ready to begin?"

"Yeah, I'm ready."

Rebecca picked up and activated her Duel Disk. Her mind drifted towards the conclusion. What was she supposed to do? In times past, she would have been happy to leave him for dead, and although she had some doubts, his whole story could also be true, meaning he changed for the better. And of course, the last thing Rebecca wanted was a life-or-death duel with anybody.

As her mind drifted back to the duel, Rebecca was surprised to realize the starting cards were in her hand.

Nobody had even taken a turn yet, but she was already beginning to despair.

**DUEL 19**: vs. Steve II

Rebecca decided to win. If Steve had an ounce of cunning in him left from his time as a Rare Hunter, he would have planned ahead and kept a key up his sleeve in case of an emergency. All that remained, therefore, was to win.

"I'm going first," said Rebecca. She drew a card. "I set one card and summon Kaiser Seahorse, attack mode. I pass."

A blue-scaled warrior materialized as Steve drew a card.

Her thoughts drifted to his deck. Would he play Exodia again?

"Gear Golem the Moving Fortress, defense mode. I set one card and pass."

A golden golem made of cogs materialized; this was a powerful defense card. Steve WAS playing Exodia again after all. Time to start swinging!

"I'm activating my set card: Solemn Wishes lets me gain 500LP each time I'm allowed to draw," said Rebecca. She drew a card. "Next, Seahorse counts as two sacrifices for monsters with the Light attribute, so I sacrifice it to summon Guardian Angel Joan, attack mode, and attack your monster!"

Seahorse vanished, and Joan materialized. The next moment, a pillar of light shot through the ceiling and enveloped the Golem.

"Each time Joan takes out a monster, I receive life points equal to its attack, so this time I take 800LP. Then I'll set a card and end my turn."

Steve drew a card.

"You won't be able to defend until you get Exodia like last time. With Joan, I can kill any defense you set up and then some."

"We'll see about that. You've seen this card before, right? I activate Painful Choice!"

"Huh?"When Steve revealed the 5 cards from his deck, her eyes widened. "Exodia? What are you planning?"

Steve smiled. "Just pick a card."

"Uh…Left Leg of the Forbidden One."

"I also activate Graceful Charity to exchange part of my hand." He smirked. "Yes! I'm activating the card I set: Contract with Exodia!"

"I've never heard of that card…"

"When all five parts of Exodia are in the Graveyard, this ritual lets him rise as Exodia Necross!" A monstrous, red-eyed blackened pharaoh clawed up from the ground.

For a moment, Rebecca recalled dying in this room, and an awful feeling spread through her body like poison. This was the kind monster born of nightmares.

"Necross attacks Joan!"

"But your monster-" Rebecca stopped and cringed. Something this evil, something that Steve went to such lengths to summon would not die from just a difference in ATK.

"My monster only has 1800ATK, true. But it gets a x1.5 multiplier from the dark magic versus light magic matchup!"

"But Joan is still stronger!" Biting a nail, Rebecca pointed to her set card, afraid of his monster's potential abilities. "Polarizing Prism negates the attack and destroys your monster."

Something like a Mirror Force bent into crystal surrounded Joan, but Necross punched through the prism. Joan, however, managed to call upon another pillar of light. Necross staggered back, but was still alive, albeit costing Steve 100LP.

A black aura gathered around Necross

"What just happened? Neither the trap nor the counterattack could kill it?"

"Not only that, but every time Necross does battle, it gets 1000ATK. It's tied with Joan for raw attack points!"

Two turns in and he finishes summoning something this powerful and unknown already? Worse, it was a monster able to outdo her deck by virtue of wielding dark magic? Rebecca swallowed and drew a card, gaining 500LP.

Was Necross vulnerable to a magic card? "I discard a card to activate Tribute to the Doomed!"

The bandages materialized and shot towards Necross, but some force deflected the attack.

She took a step back and groaned. "If attacks, magic, and traps don't work, how am I supposed kill Necross!?"

"Is that all you're doing this turn?"

"I…switch Joan to defense mode and pass."

Steve drew a card. "Then Necross attacks!"

This time, Necross managed to punch through Joan, killing her. The aura of Necross increased again.

"I end my turn, as the attack points soar to 3800ATK!"

"The card I discarded previously for Tribute to the Doomed was Marie the Fallen One. I'll begin collecting another 200LP at the start of my turn, so in total I'll take an extra 700LP at the start for each of my turns." She drew a card and became anxious. "I activate Swords of Revealing Light and summon Mystical Elf, defense mode. I end my turn."

Bright swords materialized, and so did the Elf. Rebecca did nothing but concentrate on Steve, wondering if Necross was so invincible that these light swords did nothing.

"I pass," he said.

Great! Two more turns of stalling! Rebecca drew a card. "I set one card and pass."

Steve drew a card. "I too set one card and pass."

Before Rebecca could wonder why he needed to set a card to defend if Necross was invincible, and after drawing her card and gaining life points, his card activated.

"Backup Soldier lets me take monsters from my graveyard."

The card caught Rebecca by surprise. There was a good possibility Steve had two spare Exodia pieces in his hand while Backup Soldier could retrieve the other three for an auto-win.

She wasted no time in pointing to her set card. "I pay half my life points to trigger Solemn Judgment in order to negate your automatic victory."

Steve smiled. "Hmph. At least I got you to use some life points. Welcome back to the sub-4000 club."

"Blade Knight, defense mode. I end my turn."

Drawing a card as a silver knight materialized, Steve passed. The Swords dimmed and faded as Rebecca drew a card.

That card was warm and fuzzy to the touch as her duel with Yugi came to mind.

"I think I can beat your monster. This has to be the answer!"

"Hmph. Then, did you draw it? The one card that can save you?"

"Huh?"

His lips curled. "Soul Release."

"What!?"

"I've been planning this duel for a while. Considering the life-and-death nature, wouldn't it be obvious for me to study the cards you use?"

"What the hell did you do, bug my house?" Did he end up spying on her family too? Rebecca loathed the idea that he could have done such an intrusion.

"You never had any reason to suspect such a thing until now, right?" He held up his Duel Disk. "And based on my data, I built my deck specifically to counter you. I could name every single card in your deck right now if I wanted."

"Goddammit!"

"I guess I should thank you for marrying another Duel Monsters enthusiast. But I there's something that has bothered me for so long."

"What?"

"You're a strong player, but your deck-building seems questionable. You built a deck weak to one of the most common type of monsters in the game? And why include Soul Release? That card serves no synergy for you. How is it in your deck?"

Rebecca blushed. "Someone taught me something important with this card."

"It's in there for nothing but sentimental purposes?"

"Hmph, I can build whatever deck I want! Besides, you can't mock this sentiment if it proves to be your undoing. So I activate Soul Release to Banish all five Exodia parts out of your Graveyard. After all, if it's true that Necross draws power from the limbs there, then if I remove them, I should be able to make a successful strike!"

The aura of Necross waned and vanished as her magic card purged the limbs and the darkness, Steve's monster purified into an ordinary, orange-colored Exodia.

"I'm switching my Knight to attack mode, and I'm using the Elf's ability to move her attack points to the Knight. I'm also using Monster Reborn to resurrect Guardian Angel Joan, attack mode. I have one card in my hand, so the Knight also gains another 400ATK, to 2800ATK. The Knight attacks Necross!"

The Knight charged forward and swung his blade at an angle. The torso of Necross slid off the body, dealing Steve 1000LP damage.

"Then Joan makes a direct attack!"

Steve shielded his eyes as a pillar of light enveloped him, dealing 2800LP damage.

"Without that stupid Necross, you're nothing," said Rebecca. "One turn, and you go from 4000LP to 200LP. I just need one final attack! I'll set the last card in my hand and end my turn."

Steve drew a card. "You know, I thought this might happen." He activated a different card from his hand.

Rebecca's vision shimmered as if she was looking through a heat wave. Then, her Knight knelt into defense mode and Joan started fading out of existence. Meanwhile, Necross began thickening into existence.

"What the hell did you just do!?"

"I activated a special magic card, Déjà vu. It rewinds the position of all monsters back to what they were at the start of the previous turn…including their positions on the board. That means the Exodia limbs go back into the Graveyard so Necross can return. Luckily for you, Necross doesn't get all its points back since it left the field, but I'm sure we can fix that. Necross, attack the Knight!"

Necross punched through the Knight, who then fell down and died as the black aura around Steve's monster returned.

"And Necross gains another 1000ATK! I end my turn."

Rebecca took a deep breath. All she had was the Elf, the cards giving her life points and the card set last turn. These flimsy defenses would be nothing to Necross. Worst of all, Steve made clear with Backup Soldier that he was also drawing for the main Exodia, so stalling to get Necross out of the way would play into Steve's hands.

She drew a card: Rope of Life. This could revive her Elf once dead with an extra 800ATK and the cost to pay would be nothing since she lacked any cards in hand, but all that did was delay Steve. Besides, the next turn could bring something useful…but if that draw so much as failed to bring a monster, Necross would score a direct attack.

"Your three minutes are almost up," said Steve. "So what are you going to do?"

As she told herself to be patient and have faith, Rebecca said, "I pass."

Steve drew a card and ordered another attack, the Elf dying the same way as the Knight. The aura around Necross continued growing.

"Also, it appears I'm ending my turn with 7 cards. I bet you wished you had so many cards in your hand like this, right?" She made no reply, so he continued. "The limit for a hand is 6 cards, so I'll discard…this."

Rebecca drew a card: Gravity Bind. With no monsters on her side, Steve could mount a 3800ATK direct assault, and if he had another decent attacker, he might well win this duel. However, Gravity Bind could seal his attacks. Was this a gift from heaven?

Or was it the Devil's card? Defending with Gravity Bind would let Steve continue to draw out Exodia, so even if she gained an opening to attack, her own card would close it. Besides, with his deck being full of wall monsters, his only attacker should be Necross. Rebecca figured that she could survive one turn with no defense.

Steve said, "You do like stalling, don't you?"

Trusting her life on the assumption made, she said, "I pass."

He drew a card. "Then Necross makes a direct attack!"

Here it comes! Seeing the fist heading towards her head, Rebecca braced her body and then held up her arms to block. A strong buffer, but she yelped as the attack slammed her body into the wall behind her, causing 3800LP damage, meaning her own score tumbled to 1350LP. The aura around Necross swelled.

"Necross takes another 1000ATK! And again, I'll end my turn and discard a card due to hand overflow."

No monsters on her side with an impervious Necross looming. Rebecca prayed for a monster as she drew a card.

Monster! Monster! Monster! Monster! Monster!

She grinned: Fire Princess. Steve narrowed his eyes as she revealed her card.

"It's over," said Rebecca. "And I have the cards to keep her on the field, too."

"You think it's that easy?"

"What do you mean?"

H exuded an aura of confidence. "Summon her. Why tell you when I can show you?"

Rebecca grimaced. "Fire Princess, defense mode." Still having a vague uneasiness about using Gravity Bind, she opted for Rope of Life. "I set this card and pass."

He drew a card and set it. "Bad Reaction to Simochi will stop you from killing me with just the special ability of your Princess. Now, every time you gain life points, this card will decrease them instead. And if you aren't gaining life points, then her ability can't trigger."

"But you just drew that card!"

"Oh, that? My cards were marked so that I know what the next card is. Any Rare Hunter worth his salt did it."

"Does that mean you know the next card?"

He smirked. "My next card will allow Exodia to descend from Heaven and kill you! Just as Necross continues to terrorize you in Hell. Attack the Princess!"

Necross landed another blow on the frail Princess. Despite the blow, however, she managed to grab a Rope.

"I use Rope of Life to revive her with an extra 800ATK!" said Rebecca.

"Then I end my turn. And let's not forget about my trap!"

A cold and clammy sensation gripped all of her skin, which must be for the life points from Marie the Fallen One.

"This is your last turn," he said.

Rebecca stared at her deck. Only one card could bring victory or a miracle. She closed her eyes and drew the card. The harsh sensation draining her life points returned but did nothing to weaken her resolve.

There was nothing to do but grasp salvation!

"I summon Magician of Faith! Her ability returns a magic card from the Graveyard to my hand. Naturally, I choose Soul Release."

However, Steve showed no fear. In fact, his face said he was doing everything possible to not burst into laughter.

But why? If Necross returned to 1800ATK, would she not be able to win since the Princess had 2100ATK and the difference would wipe away Steve's last life points? "I activate Soul Release to again remove one of each Exodia limb from the Graveyard."

As before, her magic card began purging Necross. However, something was different.

She only purged half of Necross; the Head and the Right Arm were unaffected. In addition, Necross's aura, therefore its strength, was unchanged from 5800ATK.

Steve laughed.

"How is this possible!?" she shouted. "I removed all the limbs from the Graveyard!"

"Remember when I was discarding due to hand overflow? I was discarding a couple spare limbs. I knew there was a possibility you'd try the same trick twice. And as you've seen before, Necross can still function even without the limbs; especially if you fail to remove every last one. Sorry, but this is the end of the road for you."

Rebecca was about to sink to the floor and wail until she realized something.

"Wait! I think I can still do something!" She pointed to her set card. Please let her hunch be true! "I activate the set card, Offerings to the Doomed! If I still weakened Necross, maybe…"

Pleased to panicked, Steve stepped back, his mouth open. The bandages again materialized and headed for Necross, and this time, the magic was successful. Wrapping Necross like the mummy it was, the bandages then dragged Necross under the ground.

Steve clenched his hands and looked at his feet.

All Rebecca had to say was "attack" and victory was hers. She shrugged and smiled. "Well, so much for your revenge. I guess it's time for you to take that key out of your sleeve and unlock yourself, right?"

"I don't have a spare key."

"What? You're kidding. There's no way some cunning villain like you would forget an important detail like that!"

"I told you before that I had to pay someone to set this up. Because a spare key could literally save my life if things went badly, it would cost me everything I ever owned. Since I prepared a deck to counter you and win, I figured it wasn't worth the investment. I don't even know what the key looks like, so I couldn't have made a copy."

She covered her heart. "But surely you're lying? That all this time, you're still a Rare Hunter and you have a way out? I mean, just accept your defeat gracefully! You'll have another chance to defeat me again, won't you?"

"Believe what you want." The tension on his face could have aged his face. "You can even hang around for a little bit after you win to confirm that I'm screwed."

Rebecca could hear her own heartbeat pacing faster, a countdown to the time she had left to finish her move. What would Yugi do?

THUMPTHUMPTHUMP turned to BEEPBEEPBEEP before returning to THUMPTHUMPTHUMP.

Steve looked up as Rebecca checked her Duel Disk. Where the life point counter display was, instead of her life points the counter flashed the message "TIME UP" for a few seconds.

"What would Yugi do?" was an easy question with a hard answer. Rebecca let her arm fall, swallowed, and then looked at Steve.

For several seconds, his tense face remained unchanged.

Then it relaxed into a smile, then a smirk.

"You've really weakened! The old Rebecca would've executed me on the spot!"

"Shut up! You don't need to rub that in."

"I was right; the decade softened your heart. I knew you wouldn't be able destroy me in a kill-or-die situation! This proves I'm the stronger duelist; I have the ability to win without remorse! And I certainly won't let my newfound chance go to waste!"

"You knew you couldn't beat me fairly, so you resorted to this?" She scowled and continued to watch Steve as he drew the final card of their duel. "I bet you DO have a spare key after all!"

"I wish. If I was, this would've been the moment where I'd dangle the key in front of you; I can just tell that you wanted nothing more than for both of us to get out alive. But I was telling the truth; had you attacked, I would have died. But now, when I attack, YOU will die. Time to do now what I couldn't back at our last duel! I summon Exodia the Forbidden One!"

Her eyes widened as a pentagram materialized. Then, from each tip, first the limbs, then the body, the Forbidden One stepped onto the field. Exodia then started powering up an orb of light. Rebecca wanted to step back, but the fear of her pending death kept her chained in place.

"Exodia! Obliterate!"

She shielded her face as a huge beam lit the entire room. In a literal flash, the Princess died in smithereens, and the only thing Rebecca could even see was an endless oblivion of light.

Then, the light faded, and so too did Exodia and the rest of the holograms. Panicking, Rebecca checked her life point counter; it was indeed zero.

Echoing in the room was a click. Steve's box was open, and he bent down to take the key, and then freed himself from the shackle. There was also a creak as the steel door opened.

Rebecca stood still. All this was happening.

"A coward at heart," said Steve. He began walking towards Rebecca.

"I'm not a coward."

"Afraid to kill me, you just threw the duel at the critical moment. Are you angry for throwing your pearls before swine? Sad you'll die here alone? Or even relieved that you can at least die without having killed me?"

The grief he was giving her put Rebecca at a loss for words. Thinking back to her initial encounter with Yugi, Rebecca began to appreciate the suffering she caused him after "winning" that duel.

Blinking, her mind returned to this dungeon in time to see Steve sigh, which Rebecca mirrored.

"Was this worth it?" asked Rebecca. She forced herself to smirk. "For someone who finally got his revenge, you don't look very festive."

"I didn't expect that your weakness would dampen my enthusiasm."

"I prefer to call it kindness."

"If you were depending on getting out of here because I would feel a debt of gratitude, it's time to wake up."

Tensing, Rebecca forced herself to shrug, hoping to look defiant and indifferent, and said, "I wasn't counting on it." However, her words were close to inaudible.

Steve returned her smirk. "Still gutsy as ever, at least." He turned and started walking to the exit.

The chain rattled when Rebecca sank to her knees. Did Yugi accept defeat in their duel, despite knowing that there was a possibility she would refuse to repent?

"But!"

One word held her breath.

"I wouldn't mind the glee that comes from having YOU feeling a debt of gratitude to ME. It would certainly make up for this empty victory. Perhaps I should stop by later when I have the tools to pry open this room?"

"Or perhaps you just like feeding me false hope?"

"Maybe I'm just trying 'that kindness thing' as a curiosity."

Rebecca smiled. "Next thing you know, you'll be doing 'that kindness thing' just for the fuzzy feeling."


End file.
